


The Founder

by Rabbitafy



Category: Adventure Time
Genre: M/M, m-preg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-10
Updated: 2013-08-04
Packaged: 2017-12-14 13:00:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 58,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/837157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rabbitafy/pseuds/Rabbitafy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the flames of a second mushroom bomb, Marshall Lee and Bubba Gumball are separated and the land of Ooo is reduced to ash. A millennium passes and in the midst of an underground metropolis, they are reunited by chance… but a thousand years is a long time and a lot of things have changed, not just the world around them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Heart beats fast

**Author's Note:**

> This is an M-Preg story! Just thought you should know ahead of time.
> 
> This story is also very long. Longer then My Kingdom For, even!

At the table, a young boy with dark hair and bright blue eyes chewed his cereal with a blank expression. Beside him, his father had an apple between his lips, idly watching the boy as he ate. Eventually, the child stood from the table and moved over to the sink, placing his bowl in it before disappearing from the room. Eyes followed after him, a small smile curled over pale lips.

Technically, vampires weren’t able to have children. It was impossible, physically, with them being dead at all… but Marshall was only half vampire, technically, the other half of him demon on his mother’s side. He’d been born half human and when he’d turned, only part of him had.

That, combined with science…

Swallowing down the lump forming in his throat, the young man stood from the table and moved over to the sink, beginning to wash the few dishes that had piled up there.

He tried not to think of the past, but occasionally, at times like this – when he was cleaning or doing chores – it would come back to him and he was powerless to stop it.

A few thousand years ago, the world had perished when a nuclear bomb had gone off, eradicating most of life and mutating what was left. From then, the world eventually began to grow and flourished, bringing an arsenal of food-people and object-people, as well as talking animals and mutants in general. Despite all this, it had been a beautiful world and it was a thousand years after the war that Marshall had finally found love.

His name was Bubba Gumball and he was the Prince of the candy-people. With a head of bubblegum hair and skin made of pink sugar, he was the most beautiful man Marshall could ever remember laying eyes on.

Bubba was a scientific genius and at some point, he’d discovered the secret to eternal youth, living for decades in an 18 year old’s body with a smile on his face. He was immortal, like Marshall, so long as he had science on his side.

The Prince had wanted children and he’d wanted them _badly_. He loved ‘mothering’ children and after some time, he’d managed to convince Marshall (who didn’t have the desire for kids) to become a science experiment.

It had taken a _lot_ of poking and prodding, but eventually Marshall had gained the ability to not only father children… but mother them, as well.

(He’d originally wanted Bubba to be the one, but after the pink-haired man had explained that his insides were pretty much sugar and that a baby made of anything but wouldn’t survive, they’d come to the collusion that the Vampire would be the one to carry them.)

The next morning, after recovering from a painful night of his body changing… Marshall awoke to chaos.

There had to have been another bomb, because the next thing he knew the sky was filled with green and the world around him was burning. He’d rushed from his home toward the Candy Kingdom, where his Prince resided, but it was already too late. Where the castle had once been was nothing but an empty hole, deep in the ground and steaming.

Most of his world had perished that day and the people that hadn’t were terrified. It had taken hundreds of years for any sort of stability to be recognized but by that time, Marshall was long gone.

Most of those years were a blur, screwing around with whoever he could get with, stealing food, and sleeping in boxes huddled in the dark. Eventually the world around him began to grow and flourish once more, buildings springing up around him and a society much like the old world one coming to life.

It wasn’t until _it_ happened that he came back down to what used to be Ooo (now called Lapiya) and found himself at a loss for what to do.

Theo was a complete surprise and Marshall always regretted not knowing who his (other) father was. He was sure the boy still resented him for it, somewhere in the back of his mind, but try as he might to figure it out he just couldn’t be sure. There’d been at least two dozen men around that time and there was no telling which of them could have been it, especially since the kid looked pretty much like a clone of him.

Not that it mattered now, five hundred years later, with his other parent long perished and the boy alone with his remaining father.

He’d sobered up after learning about him, buckled down to get a job (how weird was that, anyways? Earning _money_ , paying _rent_ , buying _food_ ) and a place to stay. His neighbors had provided him with baby stuff and even long after they’d passed he was still using them on the slow-aging infant.

No one seemed afraid of him anymore and for that he was thankful. Before the bomb he’d never been able to get a ‘job’ (not that he ever wanted to) as people were always running in fear of him. But now it seemed as if people welcomed his presence, greeting him in a friendly manor and treating him like he was just like everyone else.

(Maybe it was the fact that he’d sworn off blood hundreds of years before that, but he wasn’t entirely sure.)

From there it was a six hundred years, full of excitement and hard work. Children were a lot of effort, Marshall came to realize, especially when you were a single parent.

He never regretted having his child, however, and he loved him more than life itself. Still, try as he might, some nights he found himself unable to sleep, visions of the burning world and the steaming hole that had once been Candy Kingdom painted on his eyelids.

“Dad?”

Turning, the dark-haired man realized that he’d been standing there with his hands under the water, the dishes untouched. With a flush of embarrassment, he switched the handle off and turned toward the doorway, where his 12-year-old (by appearance) son was standing..

“Prian is on the phone,” Theo stated, before he held out the device for his embarrassed father.

“Thanks,” Marshall replied, taking the object before falling into one of the kitchen chairs. With a heavy breath, he lifted the receiver to his ear. “Hello?”

“Ah, Marshall Lee,” His boss addressed and he could tell there was a smirk on the man’s face. “I’ve got a job for you tomorrow. _Big_ money in this one.”

Ignoring his son’s small frown, the once-proud Vampire turned away from the boy and pressed one hand over his free ear. Prian was hard to hear over the phone, per usual. “What is it?”

“A big name scientist who’s responsible for most of this world’s splendors is coming to town tomorrow morning,” The man on the phone practically purred and the dark-haired man could just _see_ his disgusting sneer. “His colleagues want someone to… show him around. Give him a _tour_ , if you will.”

Swallowing down his disgust, Marshall let his shoulders slump. Scientists were a _big_ thing and fucking up with one was as good as getting your ass fired. They paid out the nose when they _did_ hire and they certainly had the money to spare.

In this society, scientists were the hierarchy. If it weren’t for their discoveries, there would be nothing left of the world but death. It was they who had discovered the need to move people underground and it was because of them that there was an entire _world_ beneath what had once been Ooo. Connected through long tunnels, there were hundreds upon _hundreds_ of towns dug beneath the world, with more being produced every day.

They’d rediscovered things like electricity and phones, as well as where to find fresh water and how to grow food. They were responsible for life as everyone knew it and because of that, they were showered in riches whenever they’d come to town.

To be picked for a scientist meant that Prian had complete confidence in him… which wasn’t entirely a surprise, considering the fact that he’d been working in the man’s family business for… well, almost eight hundred years.

“This guy is The _Founder_ , by the way,” his boss explained, making Marshall’s breath catch. “So treat him well.”

As Prian hung up, the dark-haired man nearly dropped his phone. _The Founder_!? That bastard wanted him to show _The Founder_ around!? He gaped down at his phone in awe, his teal eyes wide with horror and nerves eating at his stomach.

Immortal as he was, ‘The Founder’ was the original scientist who had saved the people of Ooo. He was the highest of the high yet for some reason, he was coming to their backwater little town of Rhodevon… and Marshall was supposed to greet him.

“The Founder, huh?” Theo mumbled and his father felt his cheeks turn pink. The boy had long since found out what his parent did as a ‘job’, but he had no idea if his son really knew what it meant. “Good luck, father.”

“Thanks…” The vampire mumbled as the kid departed and he was once more left to his own thoughts, his heart heavy.

* * *

His night had been restless, but he’d wiped away any sign of exhaustion from his face the next morning. After telling his son that he was _not_ to leave the house, he departed, feeling confident that the boy would listen.

Rhodevon was the slums of Lapiya, at least one of the many. It wasn’t often that high-class people like scientists came around, let alone The _Founder_ , so he wasn’t entirely surprised when he walked by to find people cleaning off their front porches and scrubbing down their dirt-covered walls.

He assumed The Founder was there to do their bi-yearly water inspection, but why he himself had come instead of sending another scientist was beyond Marshall. He’d never before heard of the man coming to their town, so why was he now?

Prian was all excitement when he met up with him, quickly shoving him into the shower and dressing him in a pair of tight black skinny jeans with a black form-fitting turtleneck. It accentuated the Vampire’s form nicely, not that he cared much. In all honesty, he expected The Founder to be disgusted by his very presence and send him away immediately.

Hopefully he’d still get paid, though.

“They requested you specifically,” His boss stated as he finished running product through his hair and he turned to gaze at the man, surprise written on his features.

“…Why me?” The dark-haired man mumbled, only to have a room number shoved into his hands and his butt kicked out the door.

With a frown, he made the short walk to Rho’s most extravagant inn and climbed up to the third floor, where the more expensive rooms were. From the railing he could see all across the city – it was stacked in rows upon rows moving downward, coming to a point at the center where the waterway ran – and if he looked hard enough he could see his own house amongst the thousands that were just like it.

Turning with his heart in his throat, Marshall lifted one hand and gently tapped it against the room’s door, holding his breath.

“Who is it?” Came a voice moments later and he gave a weak sigh. What was he supposed to say? ‘The man hired to have sex with you’?

“I’m the tour guide,” He informed and it wasn’t quite a lie. He _was_ supposed to give a tour around the city before bringing the man back to the hotel to sleep with him. It’s why he was called an ‘escort’ and not a ‘whore’. “Your colleagues sent me.”

“Oh!” Came the surprised response. So he really _wasn’t_ expecting him. “Come on in, it’s open!”

Tempted to tell the man that it wasn’t safe to leave his room unlocked, Marshall sucked in another breath before pushing the door open. To his surprise, the place was entirely empty as he entered, glancing around with a frown.

“I’ll be right out!” Came a voice from the bathroom and the dark-haired man felt his stiff shoulders relax. Ah, so he was in there. Closing the door behind himself, Marshall crossed the room to take a seat in one of the provided chairs, wondering how the great and powerful Founder felt about such a cheap little room. “I’m just fixing my hair!”

Sparing a glance at the man’s open traveling bag, the Vampire found himself letting out a soft snort of amusement as he spotted clothing of wines and pinks, neatly folded and stacked in a way that left the maximum amount of space.

Then he saw something that made his chest tighten and he felt himself choke, his eyes going wide.

It couldn’t be… it just couldn’t be!

Sitting beside the man’s bedside was a picture frame, the image inside one he recognized immediately.

Because it was his own face.

The bathroom door came open and Marshall was on his feet in an instant, no time to think about what was going on. This man _had_ to be some sort of crazed stalker who had come to town to finally feed his obsession and have his way with-

“…M… Marshall Lee…?”

Tensed shoulders gave way to a gasp, teal eyes gazing upon violet ones as the pink-haired man before him returned his own look of dumbstruck awe.

Bubba looked just as he had, all of those years ago. With sugary pink skin and hair made of bubblegum, he was still about 18 in appearance, dressed in finely crafted wine colored clothes with violet and pink accents.

Still gazing openly at the man before him, Marshall was frozen in his spot as the other carefully moved forward, reaching out toward him. He barely felt the fingers that touched his skin, too caught up in the pair of violet orbs that he had been missing all of those years.

“You’re alive…” Bubba whispered, his voice cracking as he nearly collapsed right there. “B-but… how…?”

“Me?” The Vampire found himself choking and suddenly he was reaching out, wrapping his arms around the man before him. He wanted to believe it was real, _needed_ to, but how many times had he had a dream just like this one? “How are _you_ alive!? I… I saw the Candy Kingdom! It was _destroyed_!”

“I wasn’t there,” Came the answer as shaky fingers buried into his hair, pressing his face against a warm neck. “I… I was visiting Fionna. I w-w… I went to your _cave_ and it was… it was _burning_. You weren’t anywhere in your house, you… I…”

“I went to find you.” Letting out a laugh at the bitter irony, Marshall realized that tears were streaking down his cheeks. “I should have _known_ you were the founder… I’m so stupid! Immortal, living all these years, and the scientist who saved everyone… Who else but you?”

There was no response from the other as his own sugary tears dropped into dark hair.

For some time they just stood there, grasping each other tightly, but eventually the silence got to be too much for Bubba and he pulled away, his hands on Marshall’s shoulders as he gazed down at him. “So you’re my tour guide…?”

Cheeks instantly flushing, the vampire turned his teal eyes away and felt his stomach drop. He couldn’t lie to the other – he’d never been able to – and especially not after a _thousand_ years of not seeing him!

“…More an escort, really,” He mumbled, catching the horrified look that crossed the other man’s face. “Like I said before, your colleagues sent me.”

“Those, those…” Bubba huffed, puffing up his cheeks in that way he always used to do, bringing a tearful smile to the older man’s lips. “Oh, I’ll give them a piece of my mind when I see them later!” After a moment he blew off his steam and turned to gaze at Marshall, looking as if he would cry again – this time from sorrow. “An… escort, Marshall?”

“It pays the bills,” The dark-haired man whispered, turning his gaze away. This was a _dozen_ times worse than the looks Theo gave him when his job was brought up.

It seemed as if the other wanted to say something, but he decided against it, reaching up instead to rub at the back of his neck with his eyes downcast. After a few moments of awkward silence, he let out a slow breath and slumped his shoulders. “Why don’t you… show me around and we can catch up?”

With a numb nod, Marshall watched the man gather his things and together they left the room.


	2. Colors and Promises

“I’ve honestly never been here,” Bubba admitted as they took the stairs down to the ground floor. “It’s one of the main cities with an open waterway, but there’s always been another scientist to come check on the progress before.”

“So why come here now?” Marshall inquired, suddenly feeling very nervous. He hadn’t thought about it before, but he was a _known_ escort around town and he was being seen with The _Founder_. How was that going to look on Bubba’s reputation?

“Just to get a look around,” The candy-haired man hummed as they started off down the street, ignoring the looks they were receiving. “It’s not often that I get to visit a city I’ve never seen.”

With a small hum, Marshall spared a glance around. From the ground, they couldn’t see the different levels of the city, but he knew them like the back of his hand. “I’ve always lived here,” He admitted. “At least, that I can remember. Most of my memories after the bomb are blurry, but I settled down here and I like it.”

“It must be nice, not having to worry about the sun anymore,” Bubba mumbled, earning an unreadable expression from the other man.

Letting out a breath through his nose, the older turned his gaze to the front. “I suppose.”

They walked in silence for a few more moments, before the dark-haired man decided to do his ‘job’, beginning to explain where things were located.

“This is the 5th level,” He described. “The shopping districts are levels one through ten. From there is the working district and what not, down to level 35. After that is the living districts, all the way down to level 60. Level 61 is the schooling district, and then 62 to 99, the farming districts. 100 is, of course, the waterway.”

“A very unique build,” The younger man commented, taking in the view as they came up to a railing, the level below several stories down. “How do you get from level to level?”

“Stairs, usually,” Came his answer as Marshall pointed some ways away, where one of the six stair cases was located. “But there’s also the air-tram.” Turning, he motioned toward a large machine on either side of them – a long cable running down the length of the districts, with a compartment hanging from it. As the candy-haired man gaped openly at it, the Vampire shrugged. “It stops every ten levels. Personally, I’ve never enjoyed using it, so I usually just walk.”

“That seems so… dangerous…” The other man mumbled, turning as his companion began to walk once more.

With another lift of his shoulders, the dark-haired older turned to look at his charge. “It’s never broken since I’ve been here. They do checks on it weekly and repairs when necessary.”

He proceeded to show Bubba around the shopping district after these words, showing him where the more popular restaurants were. Thankfully, eating out wasn’t too expensive in their backwater little town, so whenever he decided to treat Theo it wasn’t a big hindrance to his wallet.

Not that he wouldn’t give his son the world, if the boy simply asked for it.

“You hungry?” Marshall asked, catching violet eyes with a grin. “We could sit down, catch up… you could taste the famous food of Rhodevon.”

“I’ve never heard of it,” Came the confused answer, which in turn pulled a laugh from the vampire.

“I wasn’t serious,” He informed as he motioned the pink-haired man into one of the nicer restaurants that Theo always liked to go to for his birthday. “Most of the food we grow here gets exported, just like the water. No one but the farmers and the shops can really afford it, to be honest. A lot of people are starving.”

A frown crossed the other’s lips as they took a seat and were handed menus. He gazed down at it, surprised to find very few items on the list. “I hadn’t realized there was so much struggle out here…”

“Well, we make do with what we can,” The older man replied as he placed his own menu aside. “I rather like this place. It’s… grown on me, if you will.”

With a quiet hum, The Founder ordered something random from the waitress, who gazed at him openly with wide eyes before rushing off. She hadn’t bothered to take Marshall’s order.

Puffing up his cheeks a bit, Bubba turned his gaze toward the other, only to find that teal eyes were staring out the window with a small smile over pale blue lips. Slowly, the sugar-skinned man let an upward curve fall over his own as he took in the other’s appearance for a few moments.

Dark hair styled perfectly, it was obvious that Marshall had intended to look his best for his ‘job’. He was dressed in a formfitting outfit that hugged his body nicely and his eyes were lined faintly in dark, making their unusual color stand out even in the dim lighting.

Slowly, those eyes turned to gaze at him and the vampire grinned gently, letting out a wistful breath. “I keep thinking I’m going to wake up and you’ll be gone,” He admitted almost shyly, his breath shaky as he tore his eyes away.

With a gentle smile, the younger man reached out and cupped one pale blue hand in his own pink ones. Teal eyes lifted to him in surprise as he firmly stated, “I’m not.”

“I cannot tell you how many times I had this exact dream…” Came the whispered response and Bubba felt his heart twist painfully. Had Marshall really dreamed of seeing him again, all those years? He hadn’t dreamed of the Vampire, instead choosing to block out the painful memories and forcing himself to focus on work.

Within moments the waitress returned, bringing with her a fancy-looking salad with meat on top and surprisingly enough, a plate of tomatoes for the vampire.

“Thanks, Timma,” The dark-haired man told her with a grin, watching as she turned red and scurried away quickly. He shifted his gaze to the awe-struck Bubba, before offering the man a shrug. “I come here often.”

Puffing up his cheeks, Bubba began to push his food around for a moment before starting to eat. The meal was pretty tasteless, but it filled him and Marshall seemed to be enjoying his lunch as he watched him openly.

Eventually they paid for their food (splitting the check, on the vampire’s insistence) and departed, exploring a few more places around the district. They talked quietly, telling each other about life and yet seeming to hold back as they did so.

“Really, we could be walking around for days,” The dark-haired man finally breathed as they came back around to the hotel from the other side. “You see that? That whole walk took us three _hours_. And that’s just one _level_.”

“This place is _massive_ ,” The younger man agreed, grabbing his room key and starting up the staircase. When the other didn’t follow, he turned with a frown on his face. “Aren’t you coming?”

Blue cheeks lit up for a moment and the vampire spared a glance around. “You know… I’m kind of well-known around here for being…” He frowned. “…What I am. So if I go in there any someone sees…”

Slowly, a smile crept over the other’s face, before Bubba began to laugh. As Marshall flushed in frustration, he placed a hand over his mouth. “Sorry, sorry! It’s just that…” Lowering his hand, the pink-haired man motioned his companion over. “I don’t _care_ about rumors. Some hundred years ago there was a rumor going around that I was dating a minor girl. But it eventually died out… they always do.” He locked gazes with the other man, still grinning gently. “That’s the thing about being immortal, hm? You always outlive the rumors.”

“I suppose you do…” Came the quiet response as they began to decend the steps together.

After unlocking the room, the couple slipped in and closed the door behind themselves, before getting comfortable on the bed beside each other.

Silence stretched between them – comfortably – for a few moments, but eventually the dark-haired man pressed an issue that had been at the back of his mind. “…Did Fionna make it?”

A surprised look met his eyes for a few moments, before the candy-man beamed lightly. “Yes. She lived a very long, happy life. Had some kids, her kids had kids, they had kids… I lost track, eventually.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” The older breathed, letting his eyes slip closed. He’d always wondered about the girl, but by the time he’d gained enough focus to want to know she was long dead.

Suddenly, something soft and warm pressed against his lips, making him jump in surprise. A few moments later, he realized that it was Bubba, leaning in to kiss him gently, as if he were testing the waters.

Cautiously, Marshall let his fingers reach up and gently touch Bubba’s neck, before wrapping his arms completely around his shoulders. The younger man rolled on top of him, then, their lips locked as he propped himself up on his hands.

Eventually, when the need for air became too great, they parted and violet eyes met teal, gazing into each other nervously.

“I missed you…” The dark-haired older found himself whispering as he tried to fight the tears that began to fill his eyes.

“I missed you, too…” Came the shaky response, before they were kissing again, grasping desperately at each other. Within moments, those same fingers were gripping at clothes, trying urgently to pull them off and touch bare skin.

A gasp left Marshall as teeth nipped at his sensitive neck, fingers undoing his pants before the man above him pulled away to try and get his turtleneck off.

It was different from all those times, all those clients… because this time it was _Bubba_ , the man he loved. As much as he feared that this was a dream, he couldn’t stop the tears that spilled from his eyes as the other crushed their lips together once more.

Alive… The Candy Prince had been alive this entire time. And here he was, a _thousand_ years later, kissing him like they’d never parted.

He hadn’t felt this way in a _millennium_ , the passion in each touch enough to drive him wild. As their naked bodies pressed together, Marshall felt as if he could float away on a cloud of ecstasy, never to return. At that moment, the worries of the world no longer mattered… he didn’t care if they were in an underground city or in the middle of the sunshine, so long as they were _together_.

Sometime later – though it felt entirely too quick – they curled up together, still pressed against each other with their breathing heavy.

Bubba ran his fingers through Marshall’s hair as the shorter man curled up against his chest, shoulders shaking. Slowly letting his violet eyes slip closed, he wrapped his free arm around the older as his loved one began to cry softly, clinging to him like a lifeline.

“Don’t leave me again…” The dark-haired man begged, heartbreak evident in his voice. “I can’t lose you…”

Deciding at that very moment that there was _no_ way he was going to let go of the man he had loved for over a thousand years, Bubba gave a solid nod and burred his cheek into the other’s black locks. “I won’t, Marshall.” Confident that life had just taken a turn for the better, the pink-haired man let his eyes slip shut. “I won’t leave you.”

And with that said, they both let themselves drift off into a short, relaxed sleep, finally feeling whole again.

* * *

Unfortunately, it seemed things couldn’t last, because as soon as Bubba rose from his sleep he realized that Marshall was gone, his clothing along with him.

Feeling his heart sink, The Founder sat up slowly and turned to gaze at the spot his lover had once been, only to find a note resting there, scribbled on the back of a small piece of parchment.

_Bubba-_

_I had to head home to check on something. I didn’t leave you, I promise!_

_I’ll meet up with you tomorrow after you do your science stuff with the water._

_-Marshall_

Letting out a slow breath, the pink-haired man sat up and quickly pulled on his clothes, his heart heavy in his chest.

He didn’t want to be apart from the other! Even a few hours alone was too much. He couldn’t handle being separated from the man he loved so much, especially after a thousand _years_ apart!

And so, dressing quickly, Bubba grabbed his room key and rushed from the hotel, stumbling down the street in an attempt to find a Directory.

A Directory was a machine that listed who lived in what house and very few cities were without them. He hoped to glob that Rhodevon was not one of them. It was a _big_ town and he knew if he didn’t find some way of telling where Marshall Lee’s home was, he would _never_ find the Vampire again!

“Excuse me,” He addressed a violet-skinned woman who was scurrying by, a crying baby in her arms. “Can you tell me where this cities Directory is?”

She seemed shocked to see him, before her eyes went downcast and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “I-I’m sorry, your Foundership, but… we don’t have one.”

Horror pinging at his heart, the man stumbled back a step, holding a hand to his head. “Oh my…”

“Is there something I can help you find, sir?” She inquired, trying desperately to calm her crying child as it grabbed at her long hair.

With a deep frown, Bubba gazed at her. It was an extremely long shot, but since the woman at the restaurant had known Marshall… perhaps this one did, too? “Can you tell me where Marshall Lee Abadeer lives?”

Giving him a surprised look for a moment, the woman slowly nodded, a wary look on her face. “Marshall lives on floor 44, door 44128.” Turning, she pointed to one of the large air-trams. “Take that down and walk to the left. He’s almost halfway to the second one.”

Thanking her with a weak nod, Bubba rushed over to the air-tram with his heart in his throat. It didn’t seem safe to him, but it was certainly shorter than taking the stairs thirty-nine levels down…

Hurrying down to level 10, he slowly climbed the platform for the tram, ignoring the stares he was receiving. In his own city, people were so used to seeing him that no one really cared if he was around, but in a town like Rhodevon where he’d never been…

Quickly shaking his head, the pink-haired man nervously boarded the descending air-tram and pressed himself up against the window, his shoulders tense.

“You need to press the button,” A young boy informed him and he turned to look in surprise, before lifting his eyes toward the list of buttons by the door. “So it knows where to stop. Like an elevator.”

“Thanks,” He mumbled, reaching over to press the ‘40’. As he watched, the child did the same, followed by several other people choosing various levels as they all entered.

After the doors were closed, the machine began to move and Bubba gripped at the railing right before the windows with a sick stomach. He’d _never_ liked moving machines and ones that went in the _air_ seemed all the more dangerous.

“It’s extremely safe,” The young boy told him and he turned to look at him in surprise. “In over six hundred years there’s never been an accident. They do weekly testing and monitoring, as well as repairs.”

“…There’s a first time for everything,” The Founder muttered as the machine stopped on level 20.

“I suppose so,” The child mumbled, turning to gaze out the window. “But not today.”

Silently watching the kid for a few moments, the pink-haired man eventually turned his gaze back out the window as they stopped at floor 30. Silence stretched around the cabin until they hit floor 40 and he practically threw himself out of the compartment.

The staircase down felt like it took forever, but soon enough he was on solid ground, the world seeming to spin around him.

“Do you need some water?”

Turning, he was surprised to find that child there again, holding out a metal bottle. Oh, right, he had picked level 40 as well… With a quick _no thank you_ , Bubba shook his head and swallowed down the lump in his throat.

“Can I help you find where you’re going?” The boy inquired as he pulled the bottle back. “There isn’t really anything around this level except for houses.”

“I’m trying to find someone,” Bubba informed. “On level 44.”

With a frown on his pale lips, the boy motioned toward the stairs. “I’m heading that way too.”

Silently, the two of them began to descend the steps until they’d reached level 44, where both of them took a left.

“Are you heading home?” The tall man inquired, trying to make conversation as he and the boy walked together. He took in the child’s appearance for a moment – dark hair, with bright blue eyes, a pair of brown dirt-covered slacks (as it seemed most people’s clothes were here, since the ground and walls were all made of the stuff) and a simple brown t-shirt. He had a bag slung over his shoulder, full of what appeared to be books.

“I am,” The child informed, taking a drink from his bottle before shoving it into his bag. “I’m hoping to get home before my dad. He doesn’t know I left while he was at work. I have a feeling he’s already home, though.”

“Why’s that?” The Founder asked, but the only response he got was a small _hmm._ Feeling an awkward moment starting again, the pink-haired man quickly cleared his throat. “I see you like to read.”

“I have a very extensive collection of books,” Came the reply. “Including old, _old_ world ones, though only three of those.”

Pink eyebrows shot up as the light-skinned man looked down at the boy. He’d never met a child who cared so much about reading, before. “That’s pretty impressive.”

“There’s only one hundred seventeen old, _old_ world books in known existence,” The child went on, his expression unreadable. “Gathered from time capsules, mostly, when new cities are made. One or two brought from the old world to the underground. I have 2.5% of the collection. Someday, I hope to have at least 10% of it.”

Bubba gave an impressed whistle, watching the boy’s stoic face. He _wanted_ to think that a little boy living in a town like this had no hopes of gathering so many rare and expensive books, but then again for all he knew this child could be the next big-name scientist. It was best not to judge a book – ironically enough – by the library it came from.

“How did you wind up with those three books?” He found himself asking after a moment, smiling down at the child as the boy stopped walking suddenly. The man’s own feet stopped in mid-stride before he turned, interested in the child’s answer.

“My father bought them for me,” The kid informed. Without another word, he turned toward a house and pushed past the front gate (a mesh fence, like all of the ones around seemed to be), walking up to the stone structure with a metal front door.

As the child knocked, Bubba turned, intent on finding house 44128. He glanced around, realizing suddenly that he hadn’t been paying _any_ attention to which numbers were near him. With a deep frown, the man gazed upon the numerals painted on the stone nearby and felt his chest tighten as he realized the structure next door read, _44129._

“Theo!” The Founder heard and he turned, finding the exact man he had been looking for standing in the door of 44128, holding the little boy against his chest. “Where have you been? I’ve been worried sick!”

“I was at the library,” The boy – Theo – stated, holding up his bag full of books. “They just got a new shipment in and there were some I hadn’t read yet. I also ran into-” He turned, suddenly, gazing at Bubba and causing the dark-haired man to lift his eyes and stare at The Founder in shock.

“…Theo, why don’t you go inside?” Marshall mumbled, his stomach twisting painfully as violet eyes gazed at him, unreadable. “Dinner’s almost done.”

“Dad-” The child breathed, tensely, only to frown as a gentle hand was placed on his shoulder. Eyeing the pink-haired man nervously, the little boy slipped inside, only to rush into the kitchen in order to peer out the window.

Letting out a slow breath, the dark-haired vampire slowly inched forward, up toward the gate, where Bubba was still standing with tense shoulders. “Look… I didn’t want you to find out this way…”

“…You had how many hours to tell me?” The candy-man mumbled, his voice dripping in heartbreak and betrayal. “Did you think I’d-…  I’d be _mad?_ Why didn’t you _tell me_ , Marshall!?”

“What was I supposed to say?” The older man groaned, reaching up to run a hand through his hair. “’Hey, I know we haven’t seen each other in a thousand years… by the way, you know that science experiment you tried on me? Well, it _worked_ and now I have a _son_.”

“ _Yes_!” Came the snapped response, making the dark-haired man go tense. “I think that’s a pretty important thing to tell me!”

Growling a little, his sharp teeth bared, Marshall lifted his eyes once more, sneering, “Well, does it make a difference!?” The Founder cringed at the harsh words, but he didn’t let up. “Are you going to suddenly stop loving me because I have a son now!? Are you going to turn us both away?! Are you-”

He was cut off suddenly as the candy-man reached out, placing a hand against his lips.

“No…” Bubba whispered, locking violet eyes with teal ones. “I just wish you’d _told_ me.”

Letting out a calming breath as the other removed his hand, the older’s eyes dropped. “…I was afraid you wouldn’t accept him.”

“…How could I not?” Came his answer a moment later and the vampire lifted his gaze once more in surprise. “He’s a part of you.”

Slowly, a weak smile crept over pale blue lips. From the window, Theo watched in confusion as his father and The Founder slowly made their way toward the front door, entering the house a few moments later.


	3. How to be brave?

“Theo!” Marshall called out, only to jump as the boy came out of the kitchen, a frown on his young face. “Oh, there you are. Theo, this is-”

“The Founder,” The boy cut in shortly, his bright blue eyes narrowed dangerously. “What are you doing here?” Both of the men stared down at him in surprise as he pulled his lips back, baring his teeth slightly. “My dad had a job with you, that’s all. He doesn’t need another stalker.”

“Stalker?” Bubba breathed, while Marshall moved over to his son and crouched down in front of the boy.

“No, no, Theo,” He whispered, reaching up to brush black hair from the child’s pale face. “Bubba and I are… well, we knew each other in the old world.” The boy’s eyes widened in surprise, his lips parting slightly.

“You two were together?” The kid asked, earning another surprised look from the pair. “He’s the reason you’re always crying at night… because you thought he was dead.”

Feeling extremely embarrassed, Marshall frowned. “How did you know that?”

“He’s been The Founder this whole time?” The dark-haired child mumbled without an answer, looking around his dad and up at Bubba, who seemed extremely nervous.

“Yeah,” His father replied as he stood, turning his gaze toward the pink-haired man as well. “Ironically enough.”

With a tense sigh, Theo eyed the tall man nervously, before he turned his gaze back to the vampire in front of him. “I’m not hungry anymore.”

A frown crossed pale blue lips as the man looked down at his son. “Theo…”

“I’ll be in my room,” Came the response before the young boy was up the stairs and out of sight.

As Bubba stared after him, Marshall let out a slow sigh, approaching his loved one. “He’s really protective and he doesn’t really like people. Don’t take it personally.”

Nodding numbly, the pink-haired man turned toward his older companion. “I’ll try not to.”

“What are you doing here, anyway?” The other asked, motioning him into the kitchen so he could finish his son’s dinner. “I told you I’d see you tomorrow.”

Cheeks flushing lightly as he took a seat at the provided table, the taller man watched as his long-lost love stood in front of the stove, cooking up a meal. “I couldn’t be away from you…”

“I’m sorry to have left so quickly,” Came the response as the vampire turned off the stove and placed the pan on an unheated burner. “But Theo needed to eat. I felt really bad, leaving him alone for so long. I mean, he can take care of himself, but… I’m all he has, really.”

“Then he has a lot,” Bubba replied, earning a blush from the other as he washed his hands off in the sink. Curiosity getting the better of him, The Founder made note of something he hadn’t really noticed before and asked, “Why is it that you don’t float anymore, Marshall?”

“Huh?” Looking down at himself, the older boy let out a slow breath. “Oh… Well, I found out I couldn’t float when I was… ‘pregnant’…” He made a face. “And I got so used to not doing it that I just sort of… stopped. I still do it occasionally, when I don’t feel like taking the stairs or whatever, but usually I just walk.”

“You’re certainly… different,” The pink-haired man breathed, earning a worried look from his companion. “Not in a bad way! I’m just-… I mean, you’re more _responsible_ now. It’s not a _bad_ thing.”

“But I’m _different_ ,” The shorter man sighed, turning his eyes away. “Different usually isn’t a good thing, Bubba. What if I’m _too_ different?” He ignored the frown that crossed the other’s face as the tall man stood. “I’m not that care-free, jerk Vampire King I used to be. I’m not going to… _serenade_ you on a balcony and bring you candy bouquets. I have responsibilities now. I have a job, a house, rent-”

“Come back with me.”

Caught off guard, Marshall turned to look as the other approached, wrapping long arms around his waist and pulling him close. “…What?”

“You and Theo both,” Bubba clarified, reaching up to brush the other’s hair from his face. “Come back with me to The Capital. I have way more than enough to support you both. Theo told me he likes books, too- the library there is _massive_! He would love it there and…” He frowned, trying hard not to choke as tears welled up in his eyes. “…And I can’t lose you…”

“Bubba-” The older began, only to be cut off as he was crushed against the other’s chest.

“If I leave now, I might never have a chance to come back,” The Founder choked, burying his face into a black-clad neck. “It could be _another_ thousand years before I see you again.”

“I-” Came the response, only to fall silent as the vampire frowned. What was he supposed to say? He had a job in Rhodevon, a _life_ , but Bubba was right… if he didn’t go with him now, he might never have a chance to. “…Okay.”

The pink-skinned man jerked back, relief on his features. “Okay?”

With a numb nod, Marshall repeated, “Okay.”

He was swept up suddenly into strong arms and his feet left the floor, his body trying to steady itself in the air. The younger spun his nearly weightless form effortlessly, laughing with tears spilling down his cheeks.

As he let go, the vampire floated a bit away from him, a pout on his face. After a bit he shooed the other man back to his hotel, promising to see him the next day after the scientist was done checking the water.

After Bubba had gone, the dark-haired man gathered up a plate of Theo’s dinner and ascended the stairs by way of hovering, only to place his feet on the floor as soon as he was outside of the boy’s bedroom. He reached up with his empty hand, giving a light knock to its metal surface. “Theo?”

“It’s open,” Came the response, somehow seeming heavy despite its lack of emotion.

Letting out a slow breath, Marshall pushed the door open and stepped in, letting it close behind him.

Theo had the curtains drawn, making his room extremely dark in the already dimming Rhodevon light (which was purposely darkened every night in a sort of faux darkness). None the less, he was seated on the bed, his knees drawn up and a book against them.

“You shouldn’t read in the dark,” Marshall scolded, setting the plate of food on the boy’s bedside stand. “It’s bad for your eyes.”

“I can see it perfectly fine,” The child mumbled, rolling onto his side and giving his back to his father. This earned him a defeated sigh as the vampire took a seat, shoulders slumped. “I guess I should be packing?”

“Theo…” His dad mumbled, sounding hopeless.

“I’m not upset,” The young boy admitted, flipping a page in his book. “Actually, I’m really happy for you, dad… as for moving, well, I don’t mind. I just…” He paused, a frown crossing his lips as he rolled over and caught the man’s teal eyes with his own blue ones. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Slowly, a smile began to bloom over the parent’s face before he leaned down and gently pressed his lips to his son’s forehead. “I know you don’t. But part of being an adult is taking risks, you know that.”

“I know…” Theo sighed, feeling his shoulders relax as the other kissed him. “It’s… it’s been a _thousand_ years, dad. You’ve changed, he’s changed…”

“And if it doesn’t work out, I’ll be heartbroken,” Marshall admitted, running his fingers through the boy’s dark hair. “But I’ll move on. I have you, after all.”

Making a face, the child began to laugh loudly as his father’s fingers trailed over his sides, tickling him. “N-no!” He wiggled beneath the touches, only to find himself smiling as the man ceased his actions and stood, grinning down at him.

“Now eat up, kiddo!” The vampire declared. “I’m going to go buy us some suitcases.”

“Alright, dad,” Came the boy’s reply as he sat up and reached for his food, a small upturn across his lips.

Maybe things would work out.

* * *

The waterway was fine, as he expected it to be. There hadn’t been an issue with this one in over five hundred years, but it was always good to check, considering the last one they’d gone without checking had ended up killing a good portion of the population.

Bubba was all smiles as he made his way to the train station that lead out of Rho, towards his destination. From there it would be nearly half a day of traveling from Rhodevon to the Capital, but he was looking forward to it, knowing he would be spending it with his love.

…And that love’s son.

Standing at the front of the building was Marshall Lee, nervously playing with the back of his hair and holding onto his son’s hand, his eyes elsewhere. Both he and Theo had large duffle bags at their feet, stuffed to the brim with things.

Approaching with a wide smile, Bubba barely had time to lift a hand before the vampire was wrapping him in his arms, clinging to him desperately.

“He was afraid you wouldn’t come,” Theo pointed out, earning a glare from his father. “What? It’s the truth. You _were_.”

“But I’m here,” The Founder addressed with a gentle smile, pulling those tearful teal eyes back to himself. “And I’m ready to leave whenever you are.”

“Don’t you have like, body guards flanked at your side?” The vampire inquired as his love lead them inside, up to the ticket booth. “Or an arsenal of press meeting you, or… _something_?”

“I wasn’t supposed to leave until tomorrow,” The pink-haired man told him, sending a devious grin his way. “So I’m sure I have all those things, but when they show up they’ll find it’s a little too late.”

Giving a small noise of what might have been amusement, Theo glanced over the counter as Bubba purchased three tickets for the capital of Lapiya, Roselyn.

“Don’t you want a kid’s ticket for him?” The ticket man inquired, eyeing the boy nervously before glancing at Bubba in confusion.

“He’s far too mature to be considered a child,” The Found replied, shooting the boy a smile, only to earn a weak one in response.

After handing the three tickets to the man standing at the entranceway, Bubba motioned his companions forward only to smile as they stared in awe at the train before them.

“I called ahead to make sure it was here,” The pink-haired man explained as they moved closer to the machine. “What do you think?”

“I’ve read all about them,” Theo admitted as he approached the locomotive and gazed up at it. “But I’ve never seen one in person…”

“The last time I saw them was right after the mushroom war, but it was in shambles,” The boy’s father stated, turning to look at Bubba with a soft smile.

Both dark-haired boys jumped in alarm when a whistle suddenly tolled, signaling them to board the train. Bubba gave a soft laugh and reached out, placing a hand on each of their backs and pushing them toward the tracks. “You can leave your bags with this man,” He explained after a moment as a dark-skinned man with pale hair approached, bowing to them. “He’ll make sure they get on safely.”

The little boy eyed him nervously, but released his duffle bag as the man offered his hand out. Almost instantly, the tall form let out an oofas the weight hit him and he eyed the boy in surprise, before ducking out of sight.

“Ready?” The Founder asked and with numb nods, the two pale-skinned boys allowed him to lead them onto the train.

They were instantly assaulted by a wave if _cleanliness_ that overtook the train’s cabin. It was a feeling that was very rare in Rhodevon, where everything seemed to have a layer of dirt at all times. Decorated with royal reds and golds, they were the brightest colors either of the dark-haired forms could remember seeing in some time, nearly blinding their sensitive eyes.

Theo reached down to try and dust off his jeans, only to frown as his hands became smudged. He spared a glance to his father, who only shook his head to show he was at a loss as well.

“The bathroom is at that end,” Bubba explained, smiling fondly at the boy. “If you want to wash your hands off.”

With a meek nod, the child carefully walked down the way, only to frown at the dirt-stained footsteps he was leaving. A few moments after he’d disappeared from the doorway, they heard him let out an amazed gasp, whispering, “It’s so _clean_!”

“Thank you.”

Turning in surprise, The Founder gazed at his dark-haired loved one as the older man smiled wistfully, staring after his son’s dirty shoe prints.

“For this,” Marshall explained, his shoulders relaxing. “For a long time I considered leaving Rho, just to give him a better life, but… the opportunity never came up. No matter how much money we saved, we always ended up needing it for _something_ , and it wasn’t like I could just up and get a job in another city… Not exactly a demand for my line of work.” He scoffed for a moment, before turning to fix the younger man with a small upturn of his lips. “Anyways… thank you. For taking us with you… for giving him a better life.”

Reaching out, the pink-haired man placed a gentle hand on his lost love’s shoulder, giving him a soft smile. “The life you gave him was wonderful too, Marshall. I can tell that you’re a _great_ father.”

Blowing out a puff of air through pouting lips, the Vampire looked up as his son returned, skin freshly scrubbed and shoes wet from being washed.

“I’ll go tell them we’re ready to go,” Bubba informed, patting his companion on the back before disappearing toward the other end of the cabin.

“I’m going to go wash up as well,” the dark-haired man told his son, before lifting his legs in order to float over to the bathroom, intent on not getting the floor any dirtier then it was.

Suddenly he was dropping to the ground, landing ungracefully on his head with a loud _smack_!

Dazed for a moment, Marshall let out a groan and rolled onto his back, holding up a hand to bury it into his hair, trying to stop the pounding in his brain. When the world around him finally cleared, he realized that Theo was gaping down at him in shock and concern.

“Are you okay, dad?” The boy asked, reaching down to offer a hand. With one strong pull, he lifted his father to his feet and steadied him. “What happened?”

“I’m fine… I think,” The vampire mumbled, rubbing at his injured head with a frown. Nervously, he attempted to lift himself into the air once more, only to find that as much as he tried, his body seemed to be weighed down by something.

His face paling, Marshall numbly began walking toward the bathroom. He didn’t bother to take notice of the lavish floor or the fancy crystal work embedded into the large mirror, instead leaning in to stare at the porcelain sink in a daze.

There’d only been one time in his life, since being bitten at the age of 16, that he hadn’t been able to make himself lift off the ground… and that was when his entire life had turned around. Because there was only one thing that could throw his weight off balance enough to cease his ability to float.

A child.


	4. How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?

Feeling sick, Marshall felt his knees give out from under him as he slipped to the floor, collapsing against the counter as his eyes slipped shut.

How had this happened? He _always_ knew when his week was. There was only one week every month that he could get in this situation and for some reason, he’d always been able to tell when it was going on.

How had he missed it this time? Was it all of the distraction with The Founder coming? Either way, this was bad… _very_ bad.

Panic filled his senses and he heard a sob leave his lips, his arms wrapping around his middle. Another one followed and within moments he was curled up, bawling loudly with his face buried in his hands.

The bathroom walls must have been thin because the next thing he knew, he was being gathered up into strong arms and curled against a magenta-clad chest, his face pressed against a warm, pink neck. Gentle fingers were rubbing at his back carefully and from the corner of his vision he could see his son with a worried expression written on his face.

Around them, the train gave one last whistle before the doors locked shut and they started to move.

“It’s going to be okay,” Bubba assured softly and Marshall resisted the urge to let out a bitter laugh. Of course the younger man would think that… he had _no_ idea of the truth behind his tears. “I’m here, I’m not going to let you go.”

“I’m… I’m fine…” The vampire mumbled, wiping at his eyes quickly before he pulled away and moved to stand. “I just got a little sentimental.”

“Understandable,” His loved one assured as he stood as well, reaching up to help brush tears from the other’s teal eyes. “It’ll be alright, I promise. Everything will work out.”

Turning to gaze at his lack of a reflection (his clothing perfectly visible, but his body missing from view), the older man felt his heart sink. “Yeah…” He mumbled as the pink-haired man slipped out of the room, giving him space once more.

Lingering in the doorway for a moment, Theo frowned up at his father, his chest tight. There was something going on, something that the man wasn’t saying, and it was tearing the other apart. He could tell from the look in those so-very-readable teal eyes that Marshall Lee was distraught, though why he was unsure.

If it had anything to do with his fall back by the door, then it was possible it was something very serious.

* * *

Theo was a delightful enough young boy, Bubba had to admit. He spent most of the train ride with his nose buried in a book (after being extremely surprised at how _well_ he could see it in the bright lights of the train), only looking up for the few moments they spent moving past a city in awe of his surroundings. He didn’t know the boy all that well yet, but he could tell that he’d been raised to be a good young man.

As for the boy’s father, Marshall was extremely silent the entire trip, gazing quietly out the window as they passed through the long dirt tunnels, his expression unreadable. The Founder wasn’t entirely sure what he’d _expected_ his long lost love to act like, but it certainly wasn’t this, so the whole air of the compartment had him thrown off.

Eventually, Theo grew tired and fell asleep in one of the plush chairs, curled around his book with a gentle smile across his lips.

It was only after his son was fast asleep that the boy’s dad spoke, letting out a slow breath. “That’s his fiftieth time reading that one.” He didn’t bother to look as the pink-haired man fixed him with a surprised expression. “There aren’t…” There was a pause as the vampire frowned. “… _weren’t_ \- a lot of books in Rho. And after six hundred years, well… it’s hard to find something he hasn’t read.”

“The library in Roselyn will hopefully have a large collection of things,” The younger replied, leaning back in his own chair as Marshall curled up, facing him. “I’ve only been there a few times, myself… But it’s about the size of my-” It was he who paused this time, a gloomy expression on his face. “…About the size of the Candy Kingdom’s palace.”

Silence stretched between them for a moment, a sort of unspoken mourn for the world that had once been. Then, slowly, Marshall let out a breath and tore his eyes away from his companion, back to the tunnels they zoomed through. “I’m sure he’ll love it there.”

“I hope you _both_ will,” Bubba replied, only to frown as the older man seemed to cringe at his words. “Marshall… what’s bothering you?”

The dark-haired man appeared to struggle inwardly for a few moments, closing his eyes and leaning his head against the window. Then, after a few minutes, he let out a mouthful of air and mumbled, “I feel like a bad father.”

Completely surprised by his words, The Founder straightened himself instantly. “That’s ridiculous!” He cried, only to wince as Theo stirred. Lowering his voice as his companion shot him a glare, he quietly told the other man, “You are a _wonderful_ father, Marshall Lee. I can already tell.”

“I just…” Pausing to sigh, the vampire let his teal eyes shut once more as he hung his head. “I was never sure _how_ to be a parent. I mean, originally, I was _supposed_ to have you there so we could figure things out together, but…” He grimaced. “It ended up just being me. And you know how I am, you know how my past was… I raised myself on the streets after my dad died. My mother was never around… I didn’t exactly have examples…”

Slowly, the candy-haired man reached out, laying a gentle hand on his companion’s shoulder. Those brilliant eyes opened to gaze at him almost shyly, their owner shaking beneath his fingers. “That boy loves you, Marshall, I can tell. You did far beyond what anyone could have asked of you. He is healthy, kind, smart… He’s a great boy, thanks to _you_.”

These words seemed to comfort the other, but only slightly. He turned his gaze out the window once more and fell silent, the hand on his shoulder eventually dropping as stillness filled the air of the cabin all over again.

* * *

By the time they reached Roselyn, Marshall was fast asleep with Theo curled against his chest, one hand sprawled across his stomach and the other wrapped around his son.

Bubba had taken to doing his reports from the water inspection, since he’d never been able to back in Rho, glancing up occasionally to smile fondly at the sleeping pair. Every so often his heart would soar as he remembered that he was sharing a cabin with _Marshall Lee_ , the man he had loved and lost a _thousand_ years before.

As they neared the brightly lit Capital, the pink-haired man reached over and gently shook his love’s son, whispering to him softly in order to not wake his father. Upon hearing of their location, the black-haired child slipped out of his parent’s hold and climbed to his knees, turning around to watch in awe as Roselyn came into view.

If Rhodevon had been big, then Roselyn was _massive_. Instead of having levels, it was one flat surface, metallic and glass buildings covering a majority of the stone-paved ground with walkways connecting them. In the center was a tall building, towering over the others with a point at the top, which served as the scientific research center.

Off to one side was the _huge_ library, which made the boy’s blue eyes light up tenfold. It was bigger then he’d ever dreamed, nearly as tall as the other buildings and twice as thick.

Rhodevon had a system implanted that filtered the air, keeping any precipitation from forming at the top of it. It was always cool and damp there, because of it, but it kept the crops growing so no one really minded… The simulated sunlight was dim and halfway broken, but the city couldn’t afford to get it fixed unless absolutely necessary, so it always seemed to be dark in the large town.

In Roselyn however, it seemed that the simulated sunlight was well taken care of, because the city was bright with not only warm light, but also bursting with electrical power, the buildings themselves lit up. There were clouds at the top of the metropolis, blocking its steel-plated ceiling from view, as well as trees grown in small parks all over the town.

“What do you think?” Bubba asked as Theo pressed his face against the window, his features lit up with awe.

“It’s… it’s amazing!” The boy declared, not seeming to care as his words caused his father to wake from his sleep. “I could have never _dreamed_ it was this amazing!”

Sitting up to rub at his eyes, Marshall turned to peer out the window as the train turned into the main city, where the station was located. His own mouth dropped open as he gazed around them in awe, suddenly very much awake.

Soon enough the train was stopping and the doors were coming open, revealing a platform with only one person standing on it.

Theo turned to look up at The Founder in confusion. “It’s empty…”

“I have my own personal train, with my own personal station,” The pink-haired man explained with a smile, earning a surprised look from the boy. His grin faded, however, as the person standing on the platform approached, shoulders tense.

Letting out a huff of annoyance, Fibee stormed over, a computer console in hand and her glasses slipping down her yellow nose. She had a head of blonde hair, two black antenna poking out from just behind her bangs, and was dressed in a yellow and black stripped dress with an open back to accommodate her clear wings.

“Your Foundership!” She snapped and he cringed, exiting the cabin of the train with a nervous laugh. “I heard that you left Rhodevon before your scheduled time, but I couldn’t believe it! Yet here you are, a day ahead of schedule, and-”

Realizing the woman had fallen silent due to shock, Bubba turned to look as Marshall poked his head out, Theo mirroring him on the other side of the door.

Slowly, Fibee’s face began to turn red, before she let out a burst of a yell and grabbed hold of The Founder’s arm, pulling him to the side. “These had _better_ be ambassadors from Rhodevon that I had no idea about!”

With a quick clear of his throat, the pink-haired man turned toward his guests, before motioning to the blonde-haired woman. “Marshall, Theo, this is Fibee, my personal assistant. Fibee, this is Marshall Lee and Theo Abadeer. They’re going to be staying here for a while.”

“…Here?” Marshall inquired quietly, earning a small smile from the pink-haired man.

“This is my house,” He younger informed, watching the way Theo’s mouth dropped open and his father’s eyes went wide. “And this is just the station. I have a _lot_ more.”

“Burton!” Fibee hissed, turning his gaze to her once more. “What were you thinking? The press is going to have a field day! When they find out about this-”

Giving a half-hearted shrug, Bubba motioned to the dark-skinned man that carried their bags with a smile. “Honestly,” He addressed the woman as he took Theo’s shaking hand and began to pull him toward the elevator. “I don’t care what the press thinks.”

Eyeing the fuming woman nervously, the vampire followed his loved one and his son as they stepped into an elevator, the dark-skinned man following.

“This is Ruffus,” The Founder informed with a kind smile to the bag-carrier, who gave a nod in response. “He works here and you’ll probably see him around a lot. He’s sort of… a butler, if you will.”

“Pleasure to meet you, My Lords,” Ruffus addressed in a deep voice, earning a pair of nervous smiles from the Abadeers.

Disliking the formalities, Marshall turned toward his pink-haired love, eyeing the other’s hand as it gripped Theo’s quivering one in a gentle hold. “Why did that woman call you Burton?”

“Hm?” Came the surprised reply, before the other man offered, “Oh. I changed my name after The Move. I didn’t want people knowing who I was.” He turned, giving a weak smile toward the dark-haired man as teal eyes gazed at him solemnly. “But you can still call me Bubba, of course. I’d prefer it, really.”

The doors came open and Theo let out a strained gasp, throwing his free hand over his mouth. Marshall couldn’t help but understand the boy’s astonishment, feeling extremely out of place as they slipped out of the elevator doors and into the front room of The Founder’s home.

It was decorated extravagantly in wines and magentas, a double staircase leading up to a second level. Below the upper area was a large living room, the back opening up to a massive window which displayed the city below. There were plants all over – a rare thing in Rhodevon – and massive paintings of various scenes covered the walls.

On top of that, it was all so… _clean_.

“Ruffus, please show Marshall and Theo to the rooms in the left wing,” Bubba addressed as he turned and placed a gentle hand on the young boy’s head. “You can pick out any room you want, okay? And after that, you can feel free to take a shower.”

“Okay…” Came the mumbled response as the boy moved over to his dad’s form and pressed himself up against it, hiding his face into one thin side.

“I’m sorry to leave you in Ruffus’ care,” Bubba addressed, reaching over to touch the vampire’s cheek as the man frowned. “But I have to get the water’s results into the system as soon as possible so that my colleagues can get started on the next step in the testing rituals.”

“I understand,” The older mumbled, only to flush darkly as the other leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

“I’ll come and find you when I’m done,” The Founder stated, before he gave them both a supportive smile and left them standing with Ruffus, his arms still full of bags.

“He shouldn’t be too long,” The dark-skinned man assured as he motioned them up the steps. “For now, it’s my pleasure to take care of you, My Lords.”

Letting out a frustrated noise as he and his son followed this broad-shouldered man up the steps, Marshall reached out to take Theo’s hand gently. “You’re going to keep calling us that, aren’t you?”

“Of course, My Lord,” Came the response as the other motioned them to the left and began taking the long hallway.

“Even if I ask you not to?”

With a small snort of amusement, Ruffus smirked just slightly, all in good fun. “Even if you ask me not to… My Lord.”

Not long after they reached group of five bedrooms, the tall man motioning for them to pick out a pair for themselves. Silently, Marshall was thankful that he wasn’t being expected to share a room with Bubba right off the bat; he wasn’t sure how awkward that would be and considering he’d never shared a room with _anyone_ before (save for Theo, when he was still _very_ young), he doubted it would go over well at first.

Shyly, the little boy began to look in the doors, each large room seeming more impressive to him then the last. They were each themed differently, extravagant in their own ways, but it was the last one that caught his attention like no other and nervously, he found himself whispering, “This one, please.”

The large bed seemed very simple, with white pillows and a plush white comforter, on top of a pale blue marble bedframe with the floor a similar material. There was a large white carpet spilling across the center, reaching nearly all of the corners, as well as a matching dresser and a closet door made of white stone.

But it was the far wall that caused his immediate like of the room and he was drawn to it instantly, crossing the floor to press himself up against the glass.

The back opened up into the city outside, but between himself and the world around him was about five feet of blue-lit water, filled to the brim with an arsenal of sea life of all kinds.

“His Foundership is quite proud of this extensive collection,” Ruffus explained and the boy turned to look at him as he placed down the child’s heavy duffel bag. “He will be very honored that you find it accommodating.”

As the man turned to leave, Marshall quietly looked at the remaining rooms, before picking out the one across from Theo’s – themed in simple blues. As the butler laid his bag on the ground, the vampire nervously eyed the man, wanting to ask a million questions but not quite sure how to word them.

Golden eyes watched him for a few moments, before the dark-skinned man gave a small huff. “His Foundership and I have been together for some time,” He explained. “I’ve come to learn about his old-world life quite a bit… so when he called me last night to inform me that you would be joining him upon his return, I was delighted.”

Dark eyebrows shot up and the pale-haired man couldn’t help but smile a little.

“Don’t let the words of others bother you too much,” Ruffus offered as he backed out of the door. “What matters is that His Foundership has you now and you, him… My Lord.” With that said, the butler gave a bow, before departing from the hallway.

For a few seconds Marshall stood in the doorway, in awe of the man’s sudden acceptance of his presence. But after a pause, he gathered himself back up and crossed the hallway to his son’s room.


	5. But watching you stand alone

Immediately, the boy looked up from his open bag, his cheeks flushed lightly. The vampire let out a slow, strained breath, as he moved closer and peered down at the form on the floor. “What’s this?”

“I couldn’t leave any behind!” Theo cried, throwing his arms over the book-stuffed duffle bag. “And there was only enough room left for a couple pieces of clothes…”

“ _Theo_ ,” His father groaned, holding a hand to his forehead in frustration. How was the boy supposed to live with only a few pieces of clothing?

Pale cheeks flushed as the little boy crossed his arms, turning his face way. “Well it doesn’t matter now!” He declared, his voice strained. “Because they’re all _dirty_!”

Gaping openly at his son in surprise for a few moments, the dark-haired man slowly lowered himself to his knees, pulling open the bag and pushing aside some books to reveal the few articles of clothing folded at the bottom.

…He was right. They _were_ all dirty. Covered in grime and dust that everything in Rho seemed to be, they appeared very out of place in the stale cleanliness of the large room.

“Everything I have is dirty…” The little boy whispered, looking down at his palms in disgust. “Even my books are dirty…”

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Marshall gently reached out to place a hand on his son’s head, only to frown as the boy cringed. “Why don’t you go take a shower?” He asked, nodding toward the bathroom door as blue eyes lifted. “I’ll figure out something, okay?”

“Okay…” His son whispered, before he meekly crossed the room and disappeared behind the door.

Watching the boy go with a numb feeling, the vampire slowly let his shoulders slump. He felt more out of place then he ever had before in his life… this wasn’t like visiting the Candy Palace back in Ooo, because he’d always had the ability to go to his _own_ home at the end of the night. But here, in this extravagant home of the most powerful man in all of Lapiya, he felt trapped. And he was more than certain his son was feeling it too.

They were simply two dirty immortals from the slums… they didn’t belong in the splendors of Roselyn. They belonged back in Rhodevon, where people looked at them kindly and they knew everybody.

This place was foreign and stale… and he didn’t like it.

* * *

For some time, Theo just let himself stand under the stream of water, waves of dirt falling to his feet, leaving him disgusted. Never before had he realized how un _clean_ his home had been, with a layer of grime covering everything… even directly after showering he would still be dirty, it seemed, but back then it was just something he was used to.

But now, in the pristine presence of The Founder and everything extravagant he owned… he felt disgusting.

He didn’t deserve to touch these beautiful structures and these clean places with his dirty hands. They needed _clean_ people, who weren’t thick with grime and filth all over their bodies.

Eventually, the boy lifted his hands and began to scrub at his skin, the color of it changing from a dingy blue to the fresh, pale hue it had once been. In the brightness of Roselyn he seemed so _light_ , so pale yet rich with a bright color that he could never remember seeing before, despite it being his own skin tone.

The soaps in the bathroom smelled extravagant and scrubbed at his skin deeply, but no matter how many times he washed he couldn’t help but feel _dirty_. Even as he shampooed his dark hair he felt nothing but _grime_ , lacing his fingers and coating him from head to toe.

Deciding to give up after his skin began to protest at the rough treatment, Theo quietly turned off the water and grabbed a towel from the rack – a fresh, new, _clean_ towel – wrapping it around his waist. He fell sick at the thought of putting on any of his old clothing, but to his surprise when he exited the bathroom there was a fresh set of clean, blue clothes laying out on the massive white bed.

His cheeks flushed, the little boy slowly approached the display, his body shaking. Beside the pile was a note written elegantly on a piece of parchment that read,

_Young Lord Theo,_

_I retrieved these clothes for you before my departure to retrieve you._

_I hope they are to your liking._

_-Ruffus_

The dark-skinned man had gotten him clothes before he’d even met him? How had he known that the boy would need some?

Feeling shy all of the sudden, the child reached down to touch the elegant clothing, his fingers shaking. They were made of fine blue cloth, silver etched across their surfaces beautifully. There was a white, ruffled undershirt with a blue waistcoat and knee-length trousers. Along with them was a pair of delicate white socks and navy shoes that were placed on the floor beside the bed.

An outfit fit for royalty… it was like the outfits that the men in his old, _old_ world books wore.

Flushing all over again, Theo slowly let the towel around his waist drop before he reached for the undershirt, carefully getting dressed in the extravagant outfit.

It felt… _clean_. It was overwhelming, the sense of awe he felt as the fresh fabric touched his skin. It smelled pleasant, as well, and by the time he was fully dressed he found himself wrapped in a feeling of warmth and spotlessness.

After a few moments of relishing in the feeling, the little boy turned to peer at his bag full of dirty books, only to realize that in their place was another note.

_Young Lord Theo,_

_Per your father’s request, I am making sure that all of your books are carefully cleaned._

_They will be returned to you as soon as possible._

_In exchange, I have left copies of a few of my own favorites in your bookshelf._

_-Ruffus_

Eyes lighting up with excitement, the little boy spun on his heel and crossed the room to the pearly white bookshelf that stood tall beside the dresser. He found at least twenty books on the bottom level and fell to his knees, peering at them in awe.

He’d never read _any_ of these! Alight with a feeling of happiness he couldn’t remember having in some time, the little boy began to skim through the books to pick out one that he liked, before he crossed the room and climbed onto the large bed, curling up with the object against his knees.

Perhaps living with Bubba wasn’t going to be so bad.

* * *

After seeing that Theo’s things would be washed – _thoroughly_ – Marshall departed for his own room to take a shower. The lack of cleanliness was finally starting to get to _him_ , as well, and as he gazed into his own dirt-covered sack of clothing he felt his heart sink.

What were they expected to dress like now? Bubba was _always_ primed and pressed – he always had been – were the Abadeers expected to be the same? Honestly, Marshall had never owned a piece of formal clothing in his life, which was a _very_ long time.

Deciding not to think about it, the dark-haired man dragged himself into the bathroom and stripped, before slipping into the water and letting himself stand under the faucet for a few moments. A level of grime so thick it had turned his skin dull washed off of him and he made a disgusted face, scrubbing at his arms to try and help it along.

He tried not to let himself think about it, but as soon as a hand brushed his stomach he felt his chest tighten. One attempt to float later he was slumping his shoulders and leaning his forehead against the cool porcelain of the shower walls, eyes slipping shut.

Really, he _should_ have realized. The morning before he’d reunited with Bubba he’d been feeling very emotional, as he always was when The Week came around. It was usually so easy to tell, after crying over every little thing that came up, but he’d chalked it up to the stress of meeting The Founder. On top of that, seeing his long-lost love for the first time in a millennium had been an emotional experience in itself, so it was clouding his judgment…

Sighing heavily with puffed cheeks, the vampire grabbed the bottle of shampoo and flipped it open, finding the smell pleasant, if not a little girly. He dropped a large bit into his hand and began to work it through his gross hair, wondering how he had gone all this time without feeling unclean. (He supposed he’d just gotten used to it, living in Rho for so long.)

Desperately trying to focus on the task at hand, Marshall eventually found his hands back on his stomach and he let out a frustrated groan, attempting to push the thoughts from his mind. There was time later to think about how he would tell The Founder, not to mention his son, right now he just needed to get _clean_.

Eventually, he managed to rid his body of the levels of disgust that had sunk into it for five hundred years, feeling fresh and clean. The feeling didn’t last, however, as he remembered that clothing coated in the same stuff was waiting for him to change into.

But to his surprise, when he exited the bathroom a pile of folded clothing greeted him from the bed, a pair of fresh red sneakers on the floor beside them.

Feeling a weak smile cross his lips, the vampire slowly crossed the room and took the material in his hands, giving them a quick once-over curiously.

A black button-up with a red waistcoat and a pair of finely-crafted black skinny jeans… Aside from the formality of the waistcoat, it seemed entirely his style, and the black socks along with red sneakers just _screamed_ him.

Had Bubba set this up? He must have, somehow, though how he’d known Marshall’s sizes were beyond the dark-haired man. The clothing fit like a glove, however, and they felt _clean_ – it was a feeling that he relished in, that moment.

“Like them?”

Lifting his head from where he was tying the laces on his shoes, the vampire flashed The Founder a grin as the man stood in the doorway, a white lab coat still on his shoulders and a smile on his face.

“I do,” The older replied, standing up and stretching his back for a moment. “I haven’t worn shoes like this in a _long_ time.”

“I had Ruffus pick some things up for you and Theo before he came to get us,” The candy-haired man explained as his companion took a seat on the bed, testing its softness. “Hopefully they fit him. I didn’t know what to pick out for him, either… so I kind of just like Ruffus choose.”

“He’s not picky,” Marshall replied, lifting his eyes toward the other once more, unable to stop the upturn on his lips.

Returning it with one of his own, Bubba crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway. “There’s a set of pajamas for each of you as well. After tonight, we’ll go shopping for some other things. Or, if that seems a little overwhelming, I can just have some of the staff do it. After they take your measurements of course.” As the dark-haired man scoffed, _of course_ , the pink-haired man stood up straight once more. “I have a surprise for you.”

“Another one?” Came the response as the vampire closed his eyes after being prompted. He heard the other carry something into the room, before there was the sound of a metal cage being opened. Confusion spread through the older man only to stop cold moments later as something soft and fluffy was placed into his lap.

“Mow!”

Eyes snapping open, Marshall gasped down at the white furred face of a cat he recognized instantly.

“S… Schwabs…?” The pale man choked, wrapping his arms delicately around her and holding her against himself as she began to purr, cuddling up to his chest. “I thought… I thought she was…”

“When I went to your house to see if you were alright, I found her,” Bubba explained as the other’s shoulders shook, his fingers gently touching the cat’s fur, as if not believing her to be real. “I kept her with me, through thick and thin… She hates me, just so you know. Okay… well maybe not _hate_ …” He smiled slowly as the older man fell back onto the plush mattress, curling up around his long-lost pet. “I made sure to take care of her and keep her safe… just for you.”

“How… all this time, how?” His loved one whispered, touching the feline gently as she crawled up his chest to rub on his face. “She’s a _zombie_ … she had to decompose at some point…”

“Science,” Came the chuckled response. “Took me a while to find the formula, but I worked tirelessly. She’s practically immortal now. I just need to give her shots every other month to keep her system up and running.”

Gently placing the feline to the side, Marshall stood, crossing the room in an instant and crushing his lips against the other man’s. Immediately, Bubba’s arms were around his waist, hold him tight and returning the kiss intensely.

“Your Foundership? Dinner is ready.”

Breaking apart from his loved one, the pink-haired man turned to thank the maid, earning him a polite bow in response. He gazed at the vampire lovingly for a moment, before motioning to the cat. “She’s probably hungry too.”

With a nod, the vampire gathered his pet in his arms and stepped out of the room, crossing the hall toward Theo’s. He gave a knock, entering when his son called to him.

Instantly he was fixed with an excited smile as the boy scrambled from the bed and slipped his feet into navy blue dress-shoes, his clothes extravagant and his hair still wet from his shower.

“Dad, look!” The child cried, motioning to the book shelf, were a row of books was beginning. “Ruffus gave me some books! And look at these clothes!” He pointed down at himself, his eyes alight. “They’re so _awesome_! I like them a lot! Look at me, dad! I’m so _clean_!”

Gaping at the boy’s royal appearance for a few moments, Marshall jerked in surprise as Schwabl jumped from his arms and crossed the room to rub on his son’s legs, shocking the little boy. This earned a confused, worried expression from the child, his blue eyes looking to his father for an explanation.

“…This is my cat, Schwabl,” was all the vampire could offer as the feline stood on her hind legs against Theo, reaching up to him. “I think she likes you.”

“I’ve never seen a cat before,” The dark-haired kid admitted and his father turned, surprised to find Bubba beside him in the doorway.

“Schwabl is an immortal cat,” Bubba replied with a fond smile. “She was your father’s in the old world.”

Looking a little put off, Theo reached down to try and touch the white fur, only to jump in surprise as Schwabl rubbed on his hand enthusiastically.

“I’m glad that you like this room, Theo,” The Founder addressed, earning a blush from the young boy.

Nervously standing, the dark-haired child looked to the ground, messing with his shoes shyly. “I can pick a different one…”

Slowly, the pink-haired man moved forward and wrapped an arm around his love’s son, pulling him against his side. “I’m happy you picked this one! This room never got enough love, in my opinion. Now it’s being put to good use! Thank you.”

Blue eyes peered up at him in awe and Marshall couldn’t help but smile, his chest tight. It wasn’t often that people paid much attention to Theo and when they did, it was usually the people at the library telling him about their new books.

Bubba was great with kids, that much was obvious. He seemed to understand exactly what the boy needed and was perfectly willing to give it to him with no resistance.

He was going to make a great father.

Deciding to ignore that thought, the vampire scooped up his cat as The Founder lead his son from the room, chatting to him about the large library and how they could go visit as soon as Theo had some new clothes. The little boy shyly asked if he could have more clothes like the ones he had on and the candy-man laughed, assuring him that it would be his pleasure.

The dining hall was down the main staircase and to the right of the elevator. It was a large room with a domed ceiling and a long table, fit for a feast.

“I have to host events here often,” Bubba admitted as they took their seats. “A lot of the time this hall is filled to the brim with guests.”

Setting Schwabl on the floor, Marshall found himself frowning. “Will we have to come to these events…?”

Surprised for a moment, the pink-haired man suddenly seemed at a loss. “Well…” He let out a slow sigh, his shoulders slumping. “As much as I want to tell you no… you probably should. I wish I could tell you that I don’t care about appearances, but the events are usually to gather funding for new research, so if my partner didn’t come…”

“I understand,” Came the response as the vampire’s shoulders went stiff. Of course… he shouldn’t have expected anything else. Bubba _was_ in a position of power and he was expected to act like it… and in addition, the dark-haired man would have to act the role of his partner, especially if they were _living_ together.

“Can I come too?” Theo asked, earning a small laugh from The Founder.

Leaning in toward the boy with a big smile, the pink-haired man told him, “Of course you can, silly!”

Excited at the idea, the young boy’s attention was caught as a woman with dark skin and pale hair entered through a set of double doors, a tray resting on her shoulder. She approached, setting down a plate in front of each of them in turn, before giving a respectful bow.

“If there is anything you should require, My Lords, please feel free to ask me,” The woman stated kindly.

“This is Riffa, Ruffus’ twin sister and my head of household staff,” Bubba introduced with a fond smile. “No matter what, you can always come to her if there’s something you need.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Theo told her, earning a nod from the woman before she gave another bow and departed.

Gazing down at his food in awe, the little boy nervously watched as The Founder began to eat, before picking up his own fork and doing the same. Marshall glanced down at his own plate of strawberries with a soft smile.

His son’s eyes became alight with enjoyment as he took his first bite, lifting his gaze to the pink-haired man beside him, who smiled at him in return. “This is delicious!”

“I’ll make sure to tell the chef you think so,” The man chuckled as the boy delightfully continued his meal.

“How many people are working here?” His father asked, earning a glance from Bubba.

Thinking for a moment, the younger tapped a finger against his lips. “In the living quarters, almost two hundred. In the building itself, though… well, I honestly don’t know the number.”

“The building?” Marshall replied in surprise, pressing a strawberry to his mouth and sinking his fangs in.

“The scientific research center,” his loved one clarified. “This is the top of it.”

Theo nearly choked on his food, gazing at The Founder in awe for a few moments before shifting his eyes to his father, who seemed just as surprised.

“You’re so cool…” The little boy mumbled as he gazed at the tall man once again in awe. As he earned a smile in return, the boy’s face suddenly flushed and he turned away, his cheeks pink.

“You’re pretty cool yourself,” Came the response before the pink-haired man returned to his food, still beaming.


	6. All of my doubt

They finished their meal with idle chit-chat before Bubba offered them the grand tour, walking through the extravagant halls and exploring rooms as they went.

“This is Schwabl’s room,” He informed as he motioned to a door and the cat jumped from Marshall’s arm, rushing over to her food dish. With a laugh, the candy-man moved over to a cabinet beside it as the two Abadeers took in the large room, furnished with plush cat-beds and an intricate system of shelves and platforms that resembled a castle. As they explored, The Founder popped open a can of diced fish and scooped it into the feline’s bowl, earning a happy mewl from her.

From there they explored the science lab (which Bubba proudly showed off to the disinterest of his guests), the large kitchen, and a large drawing room usually only used when guests were around. He showed them the ball room, as well, located just beside the banquet hall before he moved on to a closed door and turned to them with a weak smile.

“This is a very special place that I go when I need to get away for a while,” The pink-haired man explained, clenching the door handle with shaking fingers. “It’s very important to me… I want you to feel free to use it whenever you want.”

Confusion on their faces, the dark-haired boys looked in awe as The Founder pushed open the metal door and they stepped inside, looking around.

Decorated in simple browns and tans, the room was covered from end to end in musical interments of all kinds. There was a large area enclosed area at one end with a glass window and a microphone in the center of it, as well as a huge display of recording devices.

“Welcome to my music room,” Bubba introduced as his loved one took in the place with an awestruck expression. “I like to come in here when things get too stressful to vent. And this…” He moved over to one corner and Marshall let out a strained gasp, his hands flying to his mouth. “Is my pride and joy.”

Carefully lifting the heavy axe in gentle hands, the pink-haired man turned to find his loved one’s letting out a shaky breath. “I’ve never used it,” He admitted as he slowly approached the other, the object in his arms extremely heavy. “But I kept it here…”

“How did you…” The older man wheezed, slowly reaching out to effortlessly take his old axe-guitar into his arms. “How did you get it?”

“Every year, we send a team to the surface to check the levels and look for life,” The taller man explained, smiling fondly at Theo as the boy stared up at his father in confusion. “Every so often they bring back things from the old world. A few hundred years ago they brought back this, along with that photo of you that I have. So I kept them both.”

Letting out a slow breath, Marshall carefully ran his fingers over the strings, only to wince at the sound that came out. Balancing the object against one hip, he reached up and began to tune it, a smile curving over his lips.

“You played music, dad?” Theo asked, seeming to snap the dark-haired man out of his thoughts.

Grinning down at his son, the vampire crossed the room and took a seat in one of the plush chairs, his guitar in his lap. “Yeah… I did.”

Motioning for the young boy to follow him, Bubba took a seat beside his loved one, the child on his other side. The older man tuned his guitar for a few moments, before he got it to sound how he wanted and smiled, letting the music come to him as naturally as it always had.

His son stared up at him awe as he began to play whatever came to mind, words falling from his lips fluently, poetry in its own right. He wasn’t even sure what he was singing about, but it felt so… _right_.

After a few moments he opened his eyes, only to smile as The Founder joined in, picking up his own words and fitting perfectly into the tune, violet gaze locked with the vampire’s own.

Eventually they both blended together, knowing the words without thought. Beside them, Theo watched in awe, having never known his father could sing, let alone so _well_.

The music died down and the two men relaxed with it, gazing at each other lovingly for a few moments more before they seemed to remember the world around them. Clearing his throat, Marshall motioned his son over and sent the boy a smile as he stood and approached. “You want me to teach you?”

“I’d love that, dad…” The child whispered, his cheeks flushed. He almost felt like his presence there was an intrusion on something very private. Still, he allowed his father to stand and hand him the axe, teaching him how to hold it with patience and gentle words.

Watching them silently for a long time was Bubba, a sentimental smile across his pink lips. He had never dreamed of seeing such a thing before, except perhaps a millennium ago, when he and Marshall had talked about children. It was an amazing sight, really, and he couldn’t help but swell with love as he watched the person he cared for most enjoy time with his son.

“This is hard,” Theo admitted, his cheeks flushed as he attempted to follow his father’s direction, strumming his fingers against the wire strings.

Leaning in, the vampire lightly kissed the top of his head. “It’s alright. It takes a _lot_ of practice.”

“I’ll get it someday!” The child declared, before he handed over the axe and turned, looking at each man shyly. “May I return to my room to read, now…?”

Finding himself grinning, Bubba gave the boy a quick nod. That was the only approval needed and seconds later the dark-haired form was disappearing out the door.

Watching after his son for a moment, the older man then returned to his seat, his guitar across his lap once more. Brushing his hand across a few strings, he turned his gaze toward his long-lost love, smiling softly. “He loves it here.”

Feeling his shoulders relax a bit, the pink-haired man let out a relieved sigh. “I’m glad.” For a few moments he waited, but when nothing more came, he prompted, “…Do you?”

“…I don’t know yet,” Came the meek admission, teal eyes no longer meeting his.

Feeling deflated, The Founder turned his gaze away. “I know you never wanted to live like this…” He mumbled, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. “Like a royal, I mean – and I’m sorry that I’m forcing you to… I understand if you-”

“Bubba,” Marshall cut in, earning a surprised look from his companion. “You think I’m going to give you up after a _thousand_ years because I have to dress fancy and have dinner with people?”

“…There’s a lot to it than that,” The younger muttered.

Letting out a frustrated groan, the dark-haired man placed his axe to the side and leaned in, grabbing the other’s shoulders. “I don’t _care_. I would walk through _fire_ to be with you again. So long as Theo doesn’t get hurt, we are in this for the long haul.”

A determined look crossed the candy-man’s face for a moment and he reached out, placing his hands on the vampire’s cheeks. “I will _never_ let him get hurt, Marshall Lee. _Either_ of you. You’re… you’re my family, now.”

These words seemed to upset the older, whose hands and gaze both dropped simultaneously. For a few moments he was silent, before he let out a slow breath. “Bubba, I…”

Was now the right time to tell him? Bubba had just called them a _family_. A new addition to a family was something that was supposed to be celebrated, right? So why did he feel so…

“Your Foundership?”

Turning their gaze toward the doorway, the two men spotted Riffa, who bowed as soon as their eyes were upon her.

“I apologize for the interruption, my sirs,” She stated as she stood upright once more. “But Lord Biar requests your presence at the video phone. He wishes to go over the results from Rhodevon with you.”

A frown of confusion crossed The Founder’s face. What was this about? Rhodevon’s water results had been completely normal, he’d triple checked them by hand _and_ with the machine.

“I’ll be right there,” He informed the woman, before turning his gaze to Marshall once more. “Will you be okay?”

Giving a heavy nod, the vampire let his shoulders slump. Now wasn’t the right time. “Yeah, don’t worry about me. I’ll probably hang in here for a while.”

“Alright,” came the response as the younger man stood. “If you need anything, just call for Ruffus out the door. He can hear you anywhere in the house.”

After bidding Bubba farewell, the pale-skinned man gave a heavy sigh and leaned back in his seat, placing his guitar back in his lap.

As much as he hated the idea of being a ‘royal’… _maybe_ it wasn’t so bad.

* * *

Engrossed in a story about a young woman who went against all odds to defeat a powerful monster, Theo hardly noticed as a knock came on his door. Barely lifting his eyes from the page, he called out, “Come in!” Before turning his eyes back down toward the parchment.

“Lord Theo,” Ruffus greeted with a bow, earning him a second glance. Slung over one strong arm was a set of soft, dark blue pajamas. “I’ve come to help you retire for the evening.”

Seeming shocked for a moment, slowly the young boy climbed from the bed. “Usually I just do everything myself.”

“If you wish to do it that way, Young Lord, then I can leave,” The pale-haired man stated, moving over to the bed to lay out the night clothing. “I’ve replaced your toiletries with fresh ones. I will return to you in the morning with a fresh set of clothing. His Foundership wishes for us to depart and retrieve you several more articles tomorrow after breakfast.”

Eyes wide with surprise, the dark-haired boy nearly stumbled over himself as he moved over to the bathroom, gaping in awe at the _clean_ toothbrush and toothpaste. He had to force himself not to rush over and brush his teeth that instant, instead turning to look at the dark-skinned man with a thankful smile.

“I hope these clothes are to your liking, Young Lord,” The butler went on. “His Foundership didn’t explain much about you. About 10 and likes books. I tried to gather something a hero in a book would wear.”

A smile crossed Theo’s young face as he looked down at himself. “I love them! A _lot_! Is it okay if we get more like these?”

Ruffus gave a solid nod, before bowing and turning to depart.

“Wait!” The child cried and the man stopped in the doorway, turning to look at him. “Um…” Shyly looking down, the dark-haired boy played with the ends of his sleeves nervously. “Thank you… for lending me your books…”

The man’s emotionless face seemed to twitch for a moment, before he gave a small nod. “Those copies are for you, Young Lord. I have my own.”

Theo gasped, blue eyes looking into the large man’s gold ones for a moment in awe. “T-they’re… _mine_?”

“For as long as you wish to keep them,” Ruffus confirmed, before he bowed once more. “Good night, Young Lord.”

Staring after the butler for several moments, the young boy slowly turned to gaze at his large bookshelf in awe. They hadn’t even met yet, but the pale-haired man had found him a copy of all of his favorite books…? Swallowing down the lump in his throat, the child was suddenly aware of the disgusting feeling in his mouth and he quickly rushed into the bathroom to brush his teeth.

Clean… he needed to be clean!

* * *

Doctor Bier was a burly man with brown skin, a brown beard, and a brown head of messy hair. He had two large fur-covered half-circle ears atop his head and honey brown eyes that gazed down at Bubba from the display on his (rather fancy) large screen video phone.

“Was there something wrong with the waters from Rhodevon?” Bubba inquired as he took a seat before the camcorder that would display his image for the other man. “I checked them several times and I didn’t find anything…”

“It’s not the waters,” The man stated in a grizzly voice, huffing heavily, his shoulders tense. “It’s the whore you brought back with you!”

Immediately The Founder was on his feet, gazing deeply into the camera with a glare that could frighten an army. “Don’t you _ever_ call him that again.”

“Call boy, prostitute, escort…” The brown-haired man continued, not seeming to care as the older scientist fumed before him. “Whatever word you use, the fact is that you brought him back with you, did you not?” When there was no response – the older turning to storm away and pace the room, breathing heavily – the man continued. “This is a _problem_ , Burton!”

“I don’t care!” Came the snapped response as the pink-haired man turned to glower into the camera once more.

Bier growled, leaning in close to his own screen. “Well you should! What type of funding do you think we’re going to get if all of Lapiya finds out you shacked up with a whore!?”

Letting out a frustrated sigh, The Founder fell back into his chair and dropped his head into his hands. Try as he might to ignore it… the grizzly man had a point. A lot of their funding came from his good reputation and the press was going to have a field day, slandering his name with Marshall’s attached.

“I don’t know what possessed you to move that hussy in, but I suggest you get rid of him before things get worse,” The other snapped before the call abruptly ended and Bubba was left sitting in darkness, his heart heavy.

Things were going to get stressful, this much he knew. There was no way, _none_ , that he was going to part from Marshall and Theo, yet it seemed that he would instead be parting with his reputation if he didn’t think of something, _fast_.

Suddenly, the young man’s head snapped up, bubblegum hair bouncing slightly at the movement. Of course! That was _it_! What better way to go about the whole situation… then to tell the truth!

Quickly bringing his video-phone’s call list up on the display screen, the pink-haired man dialed a number that he was certain would get him far in this situation.

After all, the press was _always_ up for talking with him.

* * *

Eventually growing to worry about his son getting to sleep at a decent hour, Marshall left the music room, his axe-guitar safely tucked away back in the corner it had originally been in.

Schwabl followed him, meowing at his heels until he gathered her up and opened the door, stepping in and kicking off his sneakers lazily. After taking a moment to place the cat on the bed, he was just about to cross the hall to his son’s room when there was a sudden knock on the door. Frowning, the dark-haired reached out to pull it open.

To no surprise it was Ruffus, holding a neatly folded pile fresh pajamas in his arms. “I’ve already seen to it that the Young Lord has retired to bed. Will you be retiring as well, My Lord?”

Theo was already in bed? Impressed, the vampire stepped aside to allow the man entrance. “I suppose so.”

“I hope that you have pleasant dreams, My Lord,” The pale-haired man stated as he placed the clothing on the bed and turned, bowing. “I have replaced your toiletries with fresh ones. Tomorrow I will bring you a fresh round of clothes and after breakfast, His Foundership has requested we retrieve you your own wardrobe.”

Giving a silent nod, the older stood there awkwardly for a few moments, before the butler seemed to sense his unease and excused himself with another bow. After watching him go, the pale-skinned man took a seat on the bed and let out a strained sigh, letting his eyes close.

He’d sang a lot of his feelings out down in the music room… his worries about the new place and about the child he’d only just become aware of that morning. But he’d also sang of his relief and his happiness, finding Bubba again after so many years, against all odds.

Music was something he’d given up on a long time ago, after becoming a parent. When Theo was an infant he used to sing the boy to sleep, but as the child grew older he wanted to be read stories instead of lyrics, leaving no time for the vampire to express his love of melodies.

Touching a guitar again had been breath-taking and the fact that it was his own from the old world was… well, it was that much more intoxicating. If he hadn’t been worried about Theo getting to bed on time, he could have stayed down there all night, singing way his troubles.

Thinking about it for a moment, he realized that he was, in fact, pretty tired. It had been a long trip and an even longer day, emotionally exhausting at the least. And so, sparing a glance at the black cotton pajama set that had been left for him, the vampire quickly redressed. He wondered idly what Bubba would think, returning from his meeting to find that his loved one had already retired, but he didn’t let himself linger on those thoughts for long. He’d see the man in the morning, at the very least.


	7. Suddenly goes away somehow...

Bubba was absent from breakfast, but the Abadeers were too alight with nerves to really pay much mind. Not long after, Ruffus and Riffa dressed them in silk-lined blazers of red and gold for Marshall, and blue and silver for his son. Those, along with some matching black jeans (skinny cut for the older and boot for the child) and white button-ups, had them ready to step out into the world of Roselyn for the first time.

“We’ll be taking the air-bridges, My Lords” Riffa informed as they stepped into the elevator. “But it’s safest to bring an umbrella, just in case. It’s scheduled to rain today, after all.”

 “Rain…?” Theo whispered in awe as the woman’s brother stepped on, an umbrella in hand. The doors shut moments later and they were lowering, the ride a short one.

Within seconds they were off the elevator and turning onto a long bridge with a domed glass cover, the outside world visible around them.

Theo rushed up to the glass, pressing his face against it in awe. They were only a few levels up from the ground floor, now, the city around them lit up and busy, finely-dressed people walking the stone paved streets.

“Be careful, Young Lord,” Ruffus told the boy, who took a step back from the window and nodded, before moving to join them as they continued walking.

“This next building is an add on to the research center,” Riffa explained as they stepped through the double doors. “Crossing through here is the shortest way to get to our destination without being seen, however.”

“Without being seen?” Marshall inquired, only to be ignored as they stepped into a building with stale while walls and floors.

They wove a long web across many different buildings – most of them offices that had to do with The Founder’s lab – arriving at an air-bridge where the twin housekeepers paused, turning to look at the dark-haired men.

“The boutique we are visiting is very exclusive,” Riffa explained as her brother moved toward the door, peering through the glass windows. “And His Foundership has reserved it for your benefit, My Lords, but…”

The two men frowned as she glanced at Ruffus, who gave a nod.

“I must warn you in advance,” The dark-skinned woman went on, turning her gaze back to them once more. “As we cross the Lilac Center we may be spotted by many onlookers. Should they attempt to approach, Ruffus will stop them, but… I’m afraid we aren’t able to stop words.”

Feeling very sick suddenly, Marshall reached out to wrap an arm around Theo, pulling the boy against his side.

“Usually, the people of Roselyn are kind,” The Maid went on as she motioned them toward the door, heading that direction. “I do apologize in advance My Lords, if they speak out against you in ill will.”

“Why wouldn’t they like us?” Theo asked, only to jump in surprise as his father leaned down and scooped him into his arms. It was a bit awkward, with the vampire’s short stature and his son’s age (by appearance), but somehow the pale-skinned man made it work. “Dad?”

“They have no reason to not like us,” The man replied with a heavy breath as Ruffus pushed open the door and stepped through, allowing them to follow after him.

It took a few moments to walk down the hallways, but almost instantly the stillness was cut off as they stepped into the busy world of Lilac Center. Immediately, hundreds of eyes were upon them, whispers leaving lips and drifting into sensitive ears as the pale-haired man led them down the walkways.

“Is that him?”

“The Founder’s husband?”

“Stupid, they’re not _married_!”

“It’s his long lost love!”

“A tragic love story with a happy ending!”

Confusion crossed the vampire’s mind as he heard these words, holding Theo tighter against his chest as the boy gazed around them in confusion. It seemed that none of the people looking had negative things to say and if they did, he wasn’t able to hear them amongst the crowd.

“Is that his son?”

“He’s so _cute_!”

“He and The Founder are so lucky to have found each other! It’s so beautiful!”

Eventually they found themselves slipping past another set of double doors, before moving on to an empty air-bridge. Only seconds later Marshall let out the breath he had been holding, setting Theo down and fixing the boy’s hair.

“What was that all about?” He inquired, earning twin stoic looks from the housekeepers. “…I would _really_ appreciate being told.”

Sending his sister a look, Ruffus reached up to fix his tie, almost nervously. “Last night while you and the Young Lord slept, His Foundership reached out to the most established press, Lapiya United. He interviewed with the lead anchor, explaining your appearance and your story to the world. This morning, it aired in every town, reaching millions of people.”

Instantly, the vampire’s cheeks flushed pink, his breath catching in his throat. “H-he did _what_!?”

“Pardon me, My Lord,” Riffa cut in quickly, bowing her head for a moment. “It was His Foundership’s attempt to stop any negative press before it could begin. Word of your arrival was already starting to get around, so His Foundership came forward, making sure that the impression the press received was initially good.”

Letting out a slow breath, the dark-haired man wrapped an arm around his son and pulled him against his side once more, letting these words sink in.

He supposed it _would_ be taken negatively, once people figured out that Bubba had up and moved an unknown escort into his house after visiting a backwater town. So the candy-haired man had beaten the negative press to the punch, spinning a light angle on the whole thing by…

…By what? Playing them off as some love story that dated back to the old world?

It was genius, he supposed. People would eat that up. They wouldn’t care about his old profession, instead viewing him as a victim of a tragic tale who was suddenly given a second chance after a thousand years of heartache.

“I hate that man sometimes,” Marshall muttered, making Ruffus’ lips twitch in what might have been a smile. “Stupid political genius.”

Riffa nudged them forward and they crossed the bridge, coming upon a set of elaborate double doors with copper work made to look like wood. In a world completely underground, trees were considered sacred, grown by the hundreds in cities to recycle air – they were _never_ used for wood, or paper, so it had come to a point where people imitated the look of them as a ‘luxury’ design.

Idly thinking back to a time where trees were as common as clouds in the sky (not that the latter mattered much, anymore), the vampire sucked in a breath as the doors were pushed apart and they were led into a large, open floor.

Decorated in deep, rich reds and golds, the place was full to the brim with clothing of every color, displayed on mannequins and fancy hangers that kept them inches apart from each other. Everything there probably cost as much as his monthly rent – if not more – and it all seemed to be finely crafted, not a stitch out of place.

“Ah, you must be Marshall Lee Abadeer!”

Eyes turning toward the voice, the dark-haired man found himself looking an extravagant woman with flattering curves. Her skin was ashen white, adorned with black stripes that coated her arms, legs, and cheeks; her hair – pulled neatly back into a bun – was the same color, thick black lines streaking through it; and her dress was made of black silk, clinging to her in all of the right ways.

“The Founder sent you, yes?” She offered, knowing the answer before the question had even left her lips. “I’m Taigra, owner of Orchid Boutique. It’s a pleasure to have you here! Any personal friend of The Founder is always welcome past my doors.”

“Taigra was the name of the founder of Baleroes, the city that produces cloth,” Theo stated, staring up at the woman shyly.

Her bright blue eyes peered down at him in surprise, before she gave a warm smile. “My ancestor, in fact. You’re quite a smart boy!” Bending down, Taigra peered at him curiously for a moment as he resisted the urge to flee behind his father. “I bet I can tell _exactly_ what kind of clothes you’re looking for.”

“Could you really do that?” The little boy asked, his mouth parting a little in wonder.

With a smirk, the woman stood and held out one hand. “Why don’t you come find out?”

Nervously, Marshall watched as his son took the woman’s hand and she lead him across the floor, over to a large mirror with wood-styled doors flanking either side of it. Carefully, she sat the child down in one of the plush chairs and clapped her hands together, causing a line of people to come from seemingly nowhere.

In their arms, the dozens of people had different styled outfits, all complete looks yet each diverse. The woman gave a dramatic hum, glancing at the little boy for a moment before she turned and pointed to a royal blue ensemble, formal with a high collar, a ruffled cravat, and a pair of knee-length trousers.

“How did you know that!?” The child declared in amazement as she smiled and took his hand, moving him to stand on a platform in front of the mirror.

“I have a knack for this sort of thing,” Came the answer as she motioned one of the people over. The man handed her a tape measure and she began to circle the boy’s waist, hips, chest, shoulders, and neck. “Now my dear, which colors would you prefer?”

Feeling very shy as the thin object circled around his wrists, Theo glanced into the mirror, his cheeks flushing. “I’m okay with any color… except for brown.”

With a nod, Taigra tossed the measure back to the assistant who had held it and motioned the line of people away. “Alright, my darling… You wait right here and I’m going to make your clothing dreams come true!”

As she practically glided away, Marshall approached his son, catching the boy’s eyes with a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Are you sure that’s the style you like?”

“Yeah, dad,” The child replied as he tried to peer around the man to see what their host was doing.

“ _Theo_ ,” His father addressed, earning a frustrated look. “Don’t think that you have to wear things you don’t like, just because we’re in The Capital.”

With an exasperated breath, the little boy crossed his arms. “ _Dad_ , I _know_. I really like it, okay? It makes me feel like a hero in a book!”

Giving a hum in response, the vampire backed away, taking a seat between Ruffus and Riffa as they stood, watching Taigra force her assistants to gather some things.

* * *

Sometime later found Theo with an arsenal of clothing, his position on the platform now taken over by his pouting father, who gazed at his lack of a reflection in distain.

“There’s a difference between jeans that fill well, and jeans that fit _too_ well,” Taigra was scolding him, tugging a finger into his waistline. “ _These_? They fit properly. So don’t even _try_ to tell me they are too baggy.”

“I don’t like things being loose around my legs,” The vampire huffed, rolling his eyes as she fixed him with a frustrated look. “What? Maybe it’s okay for people who are upright _all_ the time, but when you’re floating in the air, they hang all over and it’s uncomfortable.”

“You don’t seem to be floating right now,” The woman retorted. The man’s face flushed in frustration, but she seemed to miss it as she held up a red, pin-striped waist-coat. “And what’s wrong with this?”

Blowing out a puff of air so strong that his bangs lifted from his face, the dark-haired man cocked one hip to the side and crossed his arms, dramatically. “What _isn’t_ wrong with it?”

“Your son seems to like them.”

“That’s _his_ style. I’m not him.”

Giving a frustrated noise, Taigra reached out, grabbing the back of Marshall’s neck and dragging him forward. As he gaped at the rough treatment, she locked her blue eyes with his teal ones, her gaze intense.

“Listen to me, boy,” She stated and he fought to urge to remind her that he was at _least_ ten times her age. “The people of Roselyn are vultures, the sponsors especially. If they think your clothes fit you the wrong way, it’ll lose the scientists money. If they think you’re snarky or impolite, it’ll lose the scientists money. If you so much as _look_ at them the wrong way, it’ll-”

“-Lose the scientists money,” the other finished, his shoulders slumping in defeat. It was all just one big political game, wasn’t it? He’d always hated politics. “Alright, alright, I got it…”

“No more lip?” The striped woman inquired, releasing him and pulling back.

“No more lip,” Came the agreed response, the vampire numbly pulling on the offending piece of clothing and buttoning it up, staring at the mirror in front of him.

Done up and perfect, that was how his reflection looked… a perfect set of clothes on an – admittedly –too thin body, with a pair of red sneakers. No person inside of them, just an outside shell for the world to gaze upon.

Wondering why he was making metaphors for life out of a giant piece of glass, Marshall tried not to make a face as she shoved more button-ups and sweater-vests on him.

By the time she was finished forcing his wardrobe, Theo had fallen asleep in the plush chair, bags lying all around him. As Taigra motioned for her assistants to gather the purchases in order to deliver them (insisting that they _would_ , there was no arguing), Marshall dejectedly dropped off of the platform with his shoulders slumped.

“Cheer up,” The boutique owner piped at him as Ruffus gathered up the sleeping little boy from the chair, cradling him in his arms. “Smiles! You don’t want the world to see The Founder’s man looking gloomy!”

Resisting the urge to hiss at her, the vampire shook out his shoulders and forced himself to smile, trying to make it look natural. Thankfully, it was a practice he was well versed at, so when they stepped out of the air-bridge’s doors and met a huge crowd of people he was faking it like a pro.

There were cameras going off and taping them, but Ruffus did his best to block both the sleeping Theo and his father from view. People were yelling questions their way but the vampire ignored it, inwardly glad that the loud noise wasn’t waking his son.

It seemed like it took ages before they were exiting the elevator into the safety of Bubba’s home, where the pink-haired man was waiting for them.

The fake smile that had been stained onto Marshall’s face fell instantly as he saw the worried expression on the other’s. Stumbling heavily from the elevator, the vampire nearly collapsed into his loved one’s arms, dropping his head against a solid chest as his shoulders shook.

“I will retire the Young Lord to his room,” Ruffus cut in, bowing his head as the boy’s father nodded meekly. “I will retrieve you when he awakens.”

Only vaguely aware of the dark-skinned form disappearing, the pale man let out a surprised noise as he was suddenly scooped into strong arms, reaching out to cling to The Founder’s neck. “Hey!”

“What?” Came the smiled response as the pink-haired man started walking to the left on the first floor. “I used to carry you all the time.”

Instantly, the older man’s cheeks lit up as he remembered exactly _when_ Bubba would carry him and what usually ended up happening afterwards.

Managing to awkwardly open the handle to his own bedroom, the candy-man stepped inside, placing his companion on the floor and giving him a moment to take in his surroundings. Marshall was thankful for the pause, his senses instantly assaulted with surprise.

He had expected a mock-up of the man’s old world bedroom, covered in wines and pinks… but instead, he found a room with a colorful set of walls, beginning with a light yellow and slowly fading into a deep purple. Dotting the darker end were flecks of white, representing stars, and amongst them was a large moon.

“I still miss the sky, sometimes,” The Founder admitted as Marshall stared in awe at the detailed work of the painting. “Can you imagine how hard it was? Trying to explain to the painter exactly what I wanted, when she’d never seen the sky before. I’ve never been so frustrated!”

“It’s beautiful,” The older whispered, reaching out to touch the fabricated white sphere that was a mere shadow to the brilliant one that had adorned the night sky.

“Someday, I hope that you and I will be able to look at the stars again.”

Turning to look at his loved one, the vampire let out a slow breath, before he reached out and wrapped his arms around the other’s waist. Almost immediately, strong arms surrounded him in return, holding him close and promising him the world with one simple touch.

Was now the right time to bring _it_ up? They seemed so comfortable… he didn’t want to ruin the mood, but they would have to talk about it _eventually_ …

“I’m sorry to have placed so much stress on you,” Bubba cut in, earning a strained sigh in response. “I know it isn’t fair and you didn’t ask for this-”

“-But I’m sticking beside you, so before you tell me I can leave at any time, bite your tongue,” The older man scoffed, pulling away to shoot the other a glare. “Or I’ll bite it for you.”

Eyebrows lifting, The Founder slowly grinned. “Is that a promise?”

“Dad, it’s _raining_!”

Jumping in surprise as Theo was suddenly in the doorway, grabbing for him, Marshall spotted a surprised Ruffus – apparently he hadn’t realized how fast the little boy could move – as he was dragged into the living room and up to the large window.

The small boy pressed his face against the glass, gasping in awe as small little droplets of water fell upon its surface. Far below, people were scrambling to get out of the rain, but inside the excited child was grabbing hold of Marshall’s arm, crying, “Can we go see, please!?”

With a frown, the vampire spared a glance back toward his lover, who was gazing at the window with a wary expression. “Theo, I don’t know if that’s-”

“Dad, _please_ ,” The blue-eyed boy begged, desperate tears beginning to form in his eyes. “ _Please_!”

Still waiting a few moments to hear any sort of positive or negative reinforcement, the vampire’s shoulders relaxed when his nervous loved one gave him a simple nod. With a small smile, he turned to place a hand on his son’s forehead, calming the excited boy instantly. “Yes, we can.”

An enthusiastic yell left the child before he was rushing toward the elevator, only to double back up the stairs as his dad yelled, _shoes, Theo!_ He was back down in the blink of an eye, bouncing on his feet in front of the large metal doors that would lead them down to the ground level.

“Honestly…” Bubba breathed, still glancing out the window with a frown. “I’ll never understand the love of rain…”

“Not all of us melt in water, Bubba,” Came the chuckled response from the vampire as he joined his excited son, along with Ruffus, at the elevator doors. “I promise to dry off before I touch you!”

“You had better mean that, Marshall Lee!” The Founder cried as they disappeared behind the double doors, cutting off anything more he might have said.

Peering up at Ruffus for a few moments, Theo then turned his eyes up to his father, who had an air of smugness about him. “What did you mean, ‘not all of us melt in water’?”

For a moment, the man seemed surprised, before he placed a gentle hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Bubba is made of candy, Theo. He is the last of the candy-people. Because he’s made of sugar, if water touches him, he’ll start to melt.”

Confused blue eyes met teal ones for a few moments, before the small boy mumbled, “What’s sugar?”

The heartbreak in his father’s eyes was hard to miss, but a moment later it was forgotten as the doors came open and the boy rushed out into the main lobby of the building, letting out an excited cry.

Ruffus was after him in an instant, barely able to keep up with the boy’s speed yet catching up to him just before he managed to throw open the door.

“We must wait a moment, Young Lord,” The large man stated as he wrapped an arm around the child’s waist and hauled him off his feet, surprising the boy. “Your father needs to catch up.”

Seeming shocked by the fact that his dad wasn’t already at the door, Theo turned to look over the dark-skinned man’s shoulder as his father approached, a fond smile on his face. “Okay, he’s here,” The little boy stated and was placed on the ground a moment later, reaching out to take his parent’s hand. “Can we go outside now?”

“Wait a moment,” Marshall addressed, earning a small whine from his son. Turning so that they were facing each other, the vampire crouched down, locking teal eyes with the child’s blue ones. “We’re not going to stay out here too long, okay? Believe it or not, being in the rain for too long can make you sick.”

“Really…?” Theo breathed in awe, only to gasp as the other nodded. “Okay, dad. We won’t stay out here for too long.”

Giving the boy a quick kiss on the forehead, his father then stood and pushed open the door, allowing them to step out onto the street.


	8. One step closer

At first, the dark-haired child was simply amazed at the stonework beneath his feet. In Rho, _every_ street had been made of dirt, no matter what level it was. Even the floor of the houses were dirt. Yet these roads were paved with rounded stones, smoothed down to prevent shoes from being caught on them.

Then he heard it, his eyes lifting. It was almost like the sound of the shower, yet it was very, _very_ different. Around them, water was falling from the sky, little droplets hitting everything in sight.

It was… it was _beautiful._ Like a wave of freshness washing the city’s filth away.

After earning a nod of approval from his father, the little boy slowly lifted a hand out from beneath the rain cover outside of the door. Instantly, the cold water began to drop on his hand and he jumped lightly. It was so… so _clean_. Slowly, he inched his way forward and soon enough he was standing in the full stream of the water, the liquid instantly drenching him.

A smile left Marshall as his son let out an excited cheer and began to twirl, head thrown back and eyes shut. He couldn’t imagine how it felt to Theo, who had gone his entire life without feeling rain.

“C’mon, dad!” The child cried suddenly and before the vampire knew it, he was being tugged under the pouring liquid. It took him a moment to adjust, but slowly a smirk grew over his lips and he gathered his son into his arms, lifting him as high as possible before twirling him around.

Above him, the boy was laughing in delight, his arms held out and a smile on his face. Below, the father couldn’t help but relish in the moment… the feeling of love when his son was happy rivaled no other. Before the boy had come along, he could have never dreamed of this kind of feeling and now the days when it came were too few and far between.

Eventually, Ruffus called to them and they returned to the building, dripping wet and laughing. To their surprise, the man seemed to pull towels from seemingly nowhere, wrapping them around the two dark-haired boys and hurrying them into the elevator.

The warmth of Bubba’s home hit them as soon as they stepped out and Marshall stopped Theo in the doorway, attempting to dry him off enough to leave as little water on the floor as possible.

“Did you have fun?” Came a voice from the living room, where The Founder was seated before a fireplace, a pile of parchment in his lap.

“We did,” His loved one replied before he stood with a grin. “You want a hug…?” As the other’s face twisted up in distain, he opened up his arms, wiggling his eyebrows.

“I most certainly do not!” Came the horrified cry before the pink-haired man regained his composure and motioned to them. “Now come dry off by the fire.”

Glancing at each other, the Abadeers slowly approached, only to find themselves surprised at the display. A large blanket was seated before them, a bowl of pink, fluffy pastries at the front.

“I hope you like them,” Bubba informed as the two men stretched out across the blanket on their stomachs. “Honestly, it’s been quite a while since I’ve found the time to bake. They could be rubbish, for all I know.”

“What are they?” Theo asked, eyeing the objects closely as his father reached out and picked one up.

“Remember when you asked me what sugar was?” Marshall replied, ignoring the horrified look that crossed The Founder’s face as he listened in. “These are made with it.” As the boy eyed the pastry warily, the vampire sunk one fine fang in and sucked the color free.

Instantly, he was assaulted by sweetness. Sugary and airy, it was the most delicious thing he could remember having in a _long_ time.

“It’s _delicious_ ,” He told his loved one, who appeared delighted.

Theo seemed uneasy, gazing at the sugary confection with nervousness. Trusting his father, however, the boy reached out and picked one from the bowl, trying not to let the texture of it turn him off. A bundle of nerves, the little boy placed the thing in his mouth and let the flavor fill his senses.

Bubba was alarmed as the child began to choke suddenly, only to stare in awe as the dark-haired boy swallowed down his bite and let out a heavy breath, crying, “This is the most delicious thing I’ve _ever_ tasted!”

“You just set the standard pretty high for yourself,” Marshall chuckled to his loved one as his son began to eat another pastry.

The candy-man watched in awe for a few moments, before he turned his gaze toward the vampire. “Has he really never had sugar before…?”

Placing another pastry against his lips as his son rolled onto his back and chewed his own confection in small bites (to savor the flavor longer), the older man let out a hum. “It’s not a luxury people in Rhodevon can usually afford. It’s not even imported there, _ever_ , so if you wanted it you’d have to go to another town.”

Numbly remembering a time when sugar was as readily available as air (at least in his own kingdom), The Founder leaned back in his chair and turned his eyes back down to the parchment in his lap.

The two dark-haired forms on the floor chatted quietly to each other about the book Theo was reading, enjoying the pastries and laughing lightly while the tall man worked, a smile crossing his lips. He felt comfortable, the air around him warm and inviting.

He felt like a family.

Eventually Theo departed to go return to his book and Marshall remained by the fire, staring lazily into its depths for a few moments before the sound of his companion clearing his throat caught his attention.

As Bubba motioned the vampire over, the older man stood and moved to take a seat beside him. Thankfully, the other was dry now, so wrapping one arm around him wasn’t uncomfortable in any way.

“Why do I feel like I’m not going to like this?” The dark-haired man immediately asked, causing the other’s shoulders to deflate. “Yep, I knew it. Let me guess…” With a hum, he placed a finger against his lips, ignoring the sad frown he was receiving from the younger man. “I breathed the wrong way in public? No, that’s not it… My hair is the wrong color and I need to change it. Oh, I know!” He clasped his hands together. “I have to meet with people and tell my story to a bunch of hungry vultures!”

“…Marshall,” Came the heavy response.

Teal eyes turned toward The Founder, before his loved one sighed. “It’s the last one, isn’t it?”

Turning violet gaze away, the taller man pulled the other against himself a little tighter. “Fibee wants to spend tomorrow ‘grooming’ you – her words, _not_ mine. As far as I know, she wants to turn you into the perfect political ‘wife’, so to speak…”

Feeling his stomach tighten a bit, the older man stared at his companion’s face as the pink-haired man gazed numbly down at his own lap. “And what do you want?”

Bubba lifted his violet eyes gradually, catching teal ones. He looked distraught, like he had condemned the vampire to a life of pain and torture. “I just want you to be happy.”

Resisting the urge to tell the man before him that at this point, that was pretty unlikely, Marshall turned his gaze away.

This was an _extremely_ difficult position. As much as he loathed the idea of becoming a political ‘wife’, he knew every second of resistance would cause the man he loved to lose precious funding for his research. To the world of Lapiya, science was everything, and even a small chunk of missing funds could be the difference between life and death.

He was in the other man’s life now and it was his duty, as a partner, to take care of their family just as much as his loved one did.

“I’ll meet up with her,” he told the pink-haired man, earning him a distraught look in response. “What? I’m an adult, Bubba. Sometimes I have to do things I don’t want to make sure my family stays happy.”

A weak smile crossing The Founder’s lips at that single word – _family_ – Bubba pulled Marshall against himself a bit more and leaned in, touching their heads together.

“Ugh, you’re gonna get gum in my hair!” The older laughed, jerking away and prying the candy from his locks. “It’s still soaked! Do you want a big mess?”

Chuckling in response, the younger quickly tugged a bit of gum from his loved one’s hair before leaning in, pressing their lips together. “Sorry. I guess I forgot my hair can’t touch yours.”

“At least not when it’s wet,” The vampire hummed, a smile across his face.

For a few moments they sat there in silence, before The Founder suddenly leaned in, crushing his lips to the other’s. A shaky breath left the older as the younger buried a hand in his locks, kissing him hungrily.

Neither of them were really sure how they ended up in the bedroom, but the next thing they knew Marshall was kicking Bubba’s door shut and the pink-haired man was dragging him back to the bed. The taller pushed him onto the mattress, before climbing over him and locking their lips together once more.

Hands were all over, after that. Teeth nipped at skin and fingers tugged off clothes… A gasp left the vampire’s parted lips as the other’s mouth moved lower, a skilled tongue pulling mewls of ecstasy from him seconds later.

Whimpers left the pale man as lips were suddenly gone, only to crush his own a moment later. He hated being teased, but the other man had always loved doing it, so he wasn’t surprised at the treatment. Fingers moved across his stomach once more before slipping downward, pulling a sharp gasp from him as they pressed gently against his sensitive skin.

Teal eyes opened up for a moment to look into violet ones, his gasp catching in his throat. The feeling in those brilliant eyes was… was _breathtaking_. The younger man was looking down at him with so much _love_ , so much _emotion_ that the vampire felt tears welling up in his own orbs.

Why was he looking at him like that? Like he was the only thing in the world that mattered… Like that very second could last a lifetime and the other would happily live it, just to see him.

Forgetting for a moment about the passion racing through his system, Marshall reached up, pulling Bubba down against himself. He crushed the other to his chest, wrapping thin arms around his neck and hugging him as tightly as he could.

He never wanted to let go. He never wanted this moment to end…

After a thousand years of being apart, he couldn’t bear the thought of spending a waking moment away from the man he loved.

* * *

“Well, you _look_ good. That’s the first step.”

Fibee circled him, her outfit today a solid yellow top with a black pencil skirt. She seemed pleased by his white button-up, black tie, and red pull-over atop black skinny (but not _too_ skinny) jeans.

“Burton told me not to complain about the sneakers. We can work them as a quirky angle, if anything. Something unique about you. Aside from being a vampire… and immortal.”

She’d taken Marshall into the drawing room, a young man with tanned skin and brown hair standing beside her, a piece of parchment and a pen in hand.

“You were lucky,” The woman buzzed, crossing her arms as she came to stop at his front. “The press found your dance in the rain with your son enduring. All of Roselyn and many of the other cities are entranced by your mysterious appearance… caught up in the romance of it all. We need to make sure to _feed_ that angle.”

“What angle is that, exactly?” He asked, fighting the urge to cross his own arms.

Fibee let out a small hum. “We’ll base it off of things that you already are. A good father-” This earned a small smile. “Mysterious, and shy.”

“…Shy?” The vampire breathed as she motioned to the man, who stared at her half-lidded and began to scrabble down the notes with extreme leisure.

“Honestly, Sleth, you’re useless,” The blonde sighed, taking the parchment from him to write the words down herself. Her eyes then lifted to Marshall and she pressed the tip of the pen against her lips, cocking one hip to the side and taking him in. “Yes, shy. It’s a loose term. You don’t _want_ to be in the press, so that makes you shy. I don’t want you answering every interview question that’s thrown your way. _When_ you do interviews-” She fixed him with a look, ignoring the man’s sour expression. “They will be scheduled.”

“Wonderful,” He sighed, his shoulders tense.

Fibee scribbled down a few more things, before addressing him again. “Eventually, when you two get married- ” She ignored his wide-eyed look. “Then you’ll need to get into doing charitable events. But that’ll be some time from now – don’t want to rush things, of course – but until then, you need to mingle during banquets and be seen around town with your son.”

“Charitable events…?” Marshall breathed, feeling extremely overwhelmed suddenly. The blonde was assaulting him with several things at all once, his brain was having trouble processing it all.

Seeming frustrated, the woman placed a hand on her hip. “Yes. Some of the wives – _and_ husbands – take schools in need or orphanages under their wing. They host parties and fundraisers in order to raise money to feed the children or fix up the buildings. Mr. Bier’s wife even funded a whole town once upon a time, fixing up their sewage system after it backed up.”

Frowning as the woman reached in to fix his tie, the dark-haired man resisted the urge to put his hands in his pockets and slouch comfortably. It probably wasn’t ‘proper’.

“Just imagine,” Fibee sighed dreamily, smiling to herself. “How much funding you could get as The Founder’s husband. If you play your cards right, Mr. Abadeer, then you’ll be _swimming_ in money. You could use it to do any _number_ of things for the community! And once people see you helping those in need, they’ll be even _more_ inspired to fund the scientists! It’s all just one big ladder of giving!”

“Why don’t we focus on the now?” The vampire found himself sighing. He didn’t want to start thinking about _ladders_.

“Of course, of course!” The woman buzzed, releasing his tie and moving back over to her notes. “Now, I think that we should host a banquet – and by we, I mean Burton – in order to introduce you to some of the sponsors as well as his colleagues. You _and_ your son, that is.”

A sour expression crossing his face, the dark-haired man stared at her with hard eyes. “You’re _not_ going to groom _him_.”

“Oh, no, no, no!” The blonde cried, holding up her hands. “I don’t plan on it! He’s a _child_! And he seems perfectly respectable. If you’d brought a boy who throws tantrums and bites, well, then we’d have problem.” Ignoring his glare, she went on. “It’s _you_ we need to groom because… well, because it’s _you_ they’ll be interested in. They’ll want to talk to you, get to know you… make sure you are polite, respectful, gracious-”

“-And fake, just like every other host,” Marshall finished, earning a glower from the woman. “I’ve acted in was you can’t _imagine_ , so putting on a fake show won’t be hard.”

“It won’t be _easy_ , either,” Fibee snapped, reaching out to tap him on the nose with her pen, earning a pout. “If you slip up even the _slightest_ bit, you’ll pay for it later. Not just you, actually, but Burton and with him, _all_ of the scientists. Which means they will _hate_ you.”

Rolling his eyes, the vampire puffed up his cheeks. “That’s reassuring.”

“None of that!” The blonde barked, hitting his cheeks with her utensil this time. “From now on, whenever you talk to anyone outside of this house you are elegant and poised, if not a little shy. In order to keep the story straight, you will be honest about your past, but try not to linger on it for too long. Is that understood?”

Offering a small, meek nod of response, the pale-skinned man watched her, deflated. She turned and began to make notes on the parchment once more, before tapping the pen against her lips.

“We’ll set up the banquet for a week from today, to give you some time to practice,” Fibee hummed. “But before that, you need to be seen out in public at least once more. This time, preferably with Burton. Any ideas?”

“We were supposed to go the library?” Came the offered response.

“Perfect!” The yellow-skinned woman cried, making note of that. “I’ll schedule that in for tomorrow.  Today, I want you to practice being as perfect as you can be. I- ah!” The vampire jumped as she looked past him, toward the door. “Mr. Bier! I’m so glad you could make it!”

Turning, Marshall felt his stomach cramp up. A large, burly man with brown skin, hair, and ears (fluffy and round, atop his head) was approaching from the doorway, a heavy fur jacket wrapped around him and a large cane with a diamond tip in his hands.

“This the boy?” He inquired, moving to stand at Fibee’s side. Not only was he broad-shouldered, but he towered above the short vampire and perhaps even the lanky form of Bubba. Warily, the grizzly man gave his form a once over, before reaching out suddenly to grasp his chin in a painful hold. As the pale boy let out a noise of surprise, Bier turned his face from side to side, a look of disgust on his features. “I’m not impressed.”

Wanting nothing more than to snap out and bite that hand as it released his face, the dark-haired man forced himself to stand tall, his posture perfect. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bier.”

“You can cut the fakeness with me, _slut_ ,” Bier sneered, ignoring the way the other man’s lips became tight as he turned toward Fibee. “You’d better have him ready soon, Ms. Fibee, or I’ll be forced to send some of my own to… _take care_ of the situation.”

“Of course, Mr. Bier,” The blonde-haired woman replied stiffly, obviously no happier about the man’s language then Marshall was. “Everything will work out.”

“See to it that it does,” He sneered, eyeing the vampire one last time before leaving the room in as much of a hurry as he’d arrived.

After the large man had gone, the two forms relaxed, though tension still lingered in the air. Fibee reached up, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear as her antennae lowered. “I dislike that man, but he insisted that he come see you for himself.”

“Who was he?” The older asked, turning to stare at the closed door with a strained breath. He did _not_ want that man around Theo… _ever_.

“Burton’s boss, so to speak,” She replied, earning a surprised look. “On parchment, it appears that Burton is the head of everything – after all, he’s _The Founder_ – but behind closed doors, Bier is the one who decides which projects get funding from the sponsor’s money. If he dislikes a certain scientist, he cuts funding for their project, forcing them to work on someone else’s and suck up to him until they can get it back.”

Letting out a slow breath, the vampire turned his eyes back toward her. “What’s Bubba- er… _Burton_ working on right now?”

“A cure for a virus that’s begun to spread to the west,” Fibee explained as she gathered up her parchment and waved her assistant – who had apparently been fast asleep, standing in place, that entire time – away.

“…And he’d cut funding for that because of me?” The vampire whispered, his gut wrenching.

Fixing him with a look with dark eyes, the woman didn’t offer an answer. Instead, she grabbed Sleth – he was still dozing – and left the room.

Numbly, Marshall watched them go. When he was sure they were long gone, he slowly lowered his eyes and rested a hand across his lower abdomen.

This was… a _lot_ more serious then he’d first realized. Schmoozing over sponsors he could handle… he’d been quite the talker his entire life and always managed to get his way, so pretending to be an innocent pauper in a Prince’s palace – though ultimately humiliating – was something he could handle. But trying to win over Bubba’s boss, who already had a serious dislike for him…?

On top of that, throwing a _baby_ into the mix was absolutely ridiculous. While the press would no doubt be delighted at the idea of a mini-Founder crawling around, there was no doubt in Marshall’s mind that as soon as Bier found out… things would get ugly.

He certainly couldn’t tell Bubba _now_. Not until he was on better terms with the man’s supervisor, at least… If his loved one let it slip and the grizzly man found out, then he could cut all the funding to The Founder’s research and thousands – if not more – could potentially die.

“You’re a dangerous little thing, aren’t you?” The man whispered, gripping the sweater-material over his stomach gently as a weak smile crossed his lips. “…Just like your daddy.”

…Had he really said that? Feeling embarrassingly sentimental, the vampire took a seat in one of the many plush chairs and leaned back, letting his eyes slip shut.

He’d spent all this time worrying about the world around him… he hadn’t even taken a moment to realize exactly _why_. The one thing he and Bubba had wanted all that time ago was a child and now, a _millennium_ later, they were finally going to have one. And no, perhaps they weren’t the _best_ of circumstances… But they were going to be _parents_. That was supposed to be something _celebrated_ , not _dreaded_.

Deciding, with a smile on his face, that he would tell his partner when the initial shock of his arrival had worn off and Bier would let up on his choke hold, Marshall closed his eyes and allowed himself a moment to just relax and daydream.

Idly, he found himself wondering just how long he _would_ be pregnant. With all of the hybrids around Lapiya, pregnancy times were up in the air – Theo had taken six months, but he wasn’t half candy-person. How long were they usually pregnant for? For all the vampire knew, it could be _years_.

He tried not to let himself think about it as he daydreamed, just enjoying the silence for some time before eventually leaving to check in on Theo.

Truth be told, he wasn’t sure when he would tell his son, but he knew he couldn’t keep the secret for long. The boy was a smart one and if his father didn’t eventually spill, he’d find out for himself.

Stubborn little butt.


	9. I have died everyday waiting for you

The contraption they climbed in to travel to the library was large and metal, with cloth seats and four wheels. It reminded Marshall of the ones he had seen after The Mushroom War, in broken heaps all over the world, but this one seemed far more advanced (not to mention working).

“This is a car!” Theo had declared as soon as they’d taken their seats in the back, Ruffus in the front, steering the object with a circular wheel that no doubt controlled the ones on the ground. “I read about them in my old, _old_ world books!”

“Is that what this is?” His father asked, eyeing the inside nervously as Bubba pulled the door closed. Around them, people were staring openly. “How does it work?”

“We call it a roller,” The Founder explained as he reached over and buckled a strap across Theo’s center, before doing the same to his loved one. “It runs off water vapors. They power a-”

“I suddenly don’t care anymore,” The vampire dead-panned, earning an annoyed look.

Once everyone was situated, Ruffus pressed a button beside the wheel of the ‘roller’, powering it up. Immediately, Marshall grasped hold of Bubba in alarm as it began to move, his eyes wide.

“You didn’t seem frightened of the train,” The pink-haired man chuckled as his loved one clung to his arm. “Why is this different?”

“There’s no _people_ on train tracks for them to hit!” The pale man gasped as the vehicle passed by stunned onlookers. “…Can they see us?”

“The windows are tinted, so no,” Came the answer as the younger man put a comforting arm around him, before turning to smile at Theo as the boy practically bounced in his seat. “Are you excited?”

“Are you kidding me!?” The child cried. “We’re going to _Gardenia_ Library!”

Smiling fondly, The Founder fell silent as the little boy began to spout of facts about the place they were visiting, his father nodding every so often, though it went unnoticed.

Not even ten minutes later they were pulling up to the front of the massive structure, the pale little boy practically pressed against the windows of the roller. Bubba gave Marshall’s hand a gentle squeeze as the dark-haired man readied himself, before the younger pushed open the door and began to slip out.

Instantly, all eyes were on them. People could tell his roller without a second glance and usually, they paid it no mind – his appearance in town as common as anyone else after so long – but it seemed now that the curious onlookers were hungry for a fresh face and as soon as Marshall slipped out the door, whispers followed him.

“Wow!” Theo cried as his father helped him out of the vehicle. “It’s so… so _big_!”

“Don’t run too far ahead!” The vampire called as the little boy started up the steps quickly, his parent not far behind with The Founder at his side.

Bubba had to admit, he was impressed. He’d expected Marshall to cringe under all of the eyes, or at the very least, walk with stiff shoulders… but the dark-haired man seemed practically at ease, his eyes on his son and nothing else. It was almost as if no one was around them, just a simple trip to a library for a simple family.

But it was an act and he knew it. Because the way the other turned to look at him with a wistful smile was so very out of character – at least, in a simple moment like this one – that he almost felt sick returning it.

For looks. They were playing up their relationship for looks. Because these people didn’t want to watch a normal family going to normal places… they wanted a show.

Theo seemed unaware of the people surrounding them as he stopped at the top of the steps and turned, waiting for them to catch up. As soon as they had, the boy moved forward, squeezing his way in-between their bodies and grabbing hold of their hands with a bright smile.

A collective _aww_ followed from the nearby people and silently, The Founder wondered if his loved one’s son was purposely hamming it up. Was he aware of their need for good press? He _was_ a pretty smart boy…

As the pink-haired man pushed open the front doors, the dark-haired child let out a gasp as he and his father slipped past them.

Instantly, they were surrounded by the rare scent that only lingered in a place with a large collection of books (Theo liked to call it the library-smell). The carpets were a royal blue, with silver trim lining the rows of copper book shelving, stylized to mimic wood in the way Orchid Boutique’s doors had been. The building was at least five stories tall, the entrance way opening up to display the floors above, each one full to the brim with shelves.

“Hello, Your Foundership,” An older woman with spectacles, gray skin, hair, and eyes standing at the front counter addressed politely, pulling a few eyes toward them. “How may I help you today?”

“Hello, Mrs. Lefaunt,” Bubba replied, reading her nametag without removing his gaze from her gently smiling face. “I’d like to sign this boy up for a library account, please.”

Theo was practically bouncing behind the metal gate that allowed access, trying desperately to be patient.

“Of course,” Mrs. Lefaunt responded, before giving the boy a smile. “If it’s alright with your parents, you may go through while they do the parchment-work.”

Instantly, pale blue eyes lifted to look at Marshall, who gave his son a fond look before nodding gently. Within moments the little boy was moving past the gate and up toward the directory, which located all of the different sections.

“Never did like making the little ones wait,” Mrs. Lefaunt hummed warmly as she turned toward a computer at her side, opening up the correct forms. “What’s the boy’s name?”

“Theo Abadeer,” The vampire stated and she nodded, making note of it. There was only one allotted section for a name – most people in Lapiya had done away with last times some time ago, instead referring to each other by the town they came from or their parent’s names – so she wrote the entire thing down in it.

“Stage?” Came the next question as Bubba reached out to place a tender hand on his companion’s hip.

“Twelve,” was the answer. Different people aged at different rates – for example, two years to one person might have been ten to another – so they had established a ‘stage’ system. They were based on appearances and at six hundred years, Theo seemed about the age of an ‘average’ twelve-year-old.

“I think I’ve got the rest,” The Founder cut in as Theo took off to the up the stairs, making Marshall frown. “You go catch up with him.”

“Are you sure?” The vampire inquired, turning to gaze at his loved one with a concerned expression.

After nodding, the younger man leaned in and pressed a kiss to the other’s left temple, before he turned to Mrs. Lefaunt as Marshall pushed past the gate and trailed after his excited son.

“Home address?” The woman went on, smiling to herself as he gave her his answer and she filled it in.

Sometime later he was finally allowed to follow after his family, only to find them nowhere in sight. Gardenia was a _massive_ library and it was possible he would be stuck there for hours, looking for them.

“Excuse me,” He addressed an older man as he passed, earning him a look of surprise. “Have you seen a man about this tall…” He held up a hand to his nose. “With dark hair and a little boy-”

“Oh, yes, yes,” The man hummed, turning to motion toward the massive staircase. “Second floor. Take a right at the top and then follow the arrows to the children’s books. You’ll find them.”

Confusion clouding his mind, Bubba thanked the gentlemen and headed for the staircase. As he ascended them, he wondered about the actuality of the information… Theo was too old for children’s books – not to mention he was pretty sure the boy would find them extremely boring - so why on earth would the duo be in that section?

Still, he did as he was directed and upon following the sign, found himself completely caught off-guard by the sight.

Seated on a puffy chair in the middle of a carpet, styled to look like grass, was Marshall Lee. His knees were bent and Theo was between them, his back resting against his father’s chest, with an open book resting in the child’s lap. Glancing down over the boy’s small shoulders, the vampire was reading the story book aloud quietly… to a group of children of all that had all gathered to hear, their eyes alight with wonder.

Their parents were grouped around, smiling to themselves as the dark-haired man turned a page and gasped dramatically, causing the children to do the same. “’Oh no!’ cried Pom-Pom’s mother,” He called and the children all gazed upon him in worry. “’I forgot to give your father his lunch!’” More gasps from the kids as Marshall turned the book and held it up, letting them get a look at the drawing there.

Bubba stopped some ways away, next to the some of the parents that all circled the small area. He felt himself smile as his partner returned the book to Theo’s lap and turned the page, continuing to read.

“’I’ll bring it to him!’ Little Pom-Pom cried, puffing up his chest to show his mother he was big and strong!” Teal eyes lifted to the children as he showed the image, smiling. “How do you show you’re big and strong?”

“Like Pom-Pom!” A brown-haired boy cried, puffing up his chest in a similar way to the child in the drawing.

“I eat my veggy-tables!” A little girl declared.

“Vegetables are _very_ important,” The vampire agreed as he returned the book to his lap.

“I’m so strong I can pick up my baby brother!” Another little boy boasted, earning a smile from the dark-haired man.

“That is strong!” He agreed, snuggling Theo a little closer as his son looked up at him.

“How strong are you, Mr…?” A small girl with white hair inquired, nervously playing with the end of her braid.

Seeming a bit surprised by the question for a moment, the pale man then grinned at the children fondly. “I’m so strong, I can pick up _The Founder_.”

They all gasped in awe, looking toward each other in disbelief. “Really?!” A few cried in excitement.

Laughing for a bit, Marshall turned the book to the next unread page. “Well, maybe not. He’s _really_ tall.”

They all nodded in agreement, before falling silent as he continued the story, smiles on their young faces.

“I think you’ve found yourself a winner, Your Foundership,” A woman to Bubba’s right whispered, catching his gaze as she smiled. “In my opinion, the ones that are good with children are always the ones you want to stick with.”

At a bit of a loss for words, the pink-haired man nodded numbly to her words and turned to look at his partner once more as the pale man continued to read.

Eventually the book came to an end and the children gave cries of disappointment as their parents called them to leave. They all politely thanked the vampire before bidding him and Theo farewell, departing with their families.

After all was said and done, the candy-man approached, reaching out to help his loved one to his feet. “How did that happen?”

“Honestly?” Marshall breathed. “One of the kids asked me to read to him and suddenly they were all there. We weren’t even in this section. We were in the history area…”

Giving a small hum, Bubba wrapped an arm around the other and pulled him in, kissing his forehead. “You’re great with children.”

“I never thought I would be,” The older admitted, motioning to his son, who nodded and started off to another area, the adults following him. “But then I had Theo and it all just… came naturally. I really adore children, though.”

With a small smile, The Founder pulled his partner a little closer. “I do, too.”

His own lips curving up, the vampire felt his heart soar. He was delighted, more than anything, at the other’s words… and he knew that when the time came, the taller man would make a great father.

* * *

Theo was delighted at the amount of books he was able to gather – five at a time, for a three week period – but narrowing it down had taken a while. Eventually, he’d decided on a history book – The Complete History of Lapiya – along with four novels.

“When you’re a loyal member for two years,” Mrs. Lefaunt told him as she ran his brand new number through the system. “Meaning that you always return your books on time, then you’re allowed to check out our old, _old_ world books.”

“Really!?” The child gasped, his eyes alight with wonder.

“We have forty three of them,” She explained with a smile as the boy’s father took the books from her after she’d scanned them. “You can check out one at a time, for one week at a time. But if you don’t bring it back in time, your privileges are revoked! So make sure to get them in before they’re overdue!”

“I will!” The pale boy cried. He then bid farewell and left with his parents.

As soon as they were in the car, the little boy had the history book opened in his lap, engrossed in it.

“Why did you decide on a history book, Theo?” Bubba found himself asking as Ruffus started up the roller.

Pale blue eyes lifted him for a moment, before his loved one’s son smiled. “I want to learn more about you.”

With that said, Theo returned to his book, missing the surprised look on The Founder’s face, and the smile on his dad’s.

* * *

It had been a long, hard week.

Bubba had become engrossed in planning the banquet, spending most of his free time with Fibee, getting things in order. They picked out the right people to invite – the right colleagues, the right sponsors, the right press – along with the right food, the right lighting… everything down to the placemats was scrutinized by them, spending hours upon hours arguing back and forth.

What time The Founder wasn’t spending with his assistant was consumed by his lab work and while the place in question was within his residence, he rarely left it once he’d engrossed himself in a project so seeing him was becoming something of a uncommon feat.

Despite being forced to practice his public persona with maids as often as possible, Marshall always made sure to make time for his son. The boy, however, seemed almost disinterested, captivated by his new books and dismissing time with his father to sink into their depths.

The whole thing felt disjointed and it seemed rare that Marshall got a moment to himself to just relax and enjoy, always stressed out by something.

Two days before the banquet, however, he finally managed to settle down to a nice dinner with Theo, who had just finished the massive history text book and was proudly reciting it to his father.

“Roselyn originated from a massive underground dungeon,” The child went on as Riffa placed down a plate of food in front of him. “It had been cleared some time ago by two heroes of the old world and The Founder moved any survivors he could gather down into it. They lived down there for weeks before he finally came to the conclusion that they would have to stay and told the people to start digging.”

Hazily remembering being huddled in the far corners of the dungeon in question, Marshall gave the maid a nod as she placed a bowl of red raspberries in front of him.

“It took a long time and a lot of people starved to death,” The boy went on. “But there was an underground lake – that’s lake Lily – that people could drink from. Eventually they made sort of a make-shift city- dad, are you okay?”

A hand over his mouth, Marshall forced back a powerful gag. His stomach was twisting uncomfortably, a wave of nausea shooting up his throat.

“…Are you sick?” His son whispered, eyes wide with horror. “D-dad, you don’t _get_ sick…”

Unable to respond as a shaky breath left him, the vampire was out of his seat in an instant, stumbling out of the dining room. He was thankful for the position of the bathrooms just across the hall as he stumbled in, a rich red spilling from his lips seconds later.

He was vaguely aware of Theo being in the doorway as his body heaved, trying desperately to rid him of everything he’d eaten during the day. Moments later, the child was nudged away and Ruffus was at his side, a gentle hand rubbing at the vampire’s shoulders.

“Candy children don’t eat red,” The pale-haired man stated, earning a shocked look from both of the Abadeers. “I think that she’s protesting your nutritional choices, My Lord.”

“…She?” Marshall whispered as his son threw a hand over his own mouth.

“Dad, you’re-!?” The little boy cried, only to fall silent as the butler held a finger to his dark lips.

Meekly staring at the other as golden eyes turned back toward him, the vampire’s shoulders shook as another wave of nausea hit him. “How did you…?”

Slowly, Ruffus lifted his finger from his lip to tap the side of his nose. “I can smell it, my lord. I could from the very moment I met you.”

Instead of responding, the older turned, losing the rest of breakfast.

As the large man continued to rub his back, Theo slipped into the large room quickly and pulled the door shut, pressing himself up against it. As the dark-skinned man turned to look at him, he frowned.  “A maid was coming… if she finds out, she’ll tell The Founder.”

“He can’t know…” the boy’s father choked, rubbing at his lips with the back of his hand. “Not yet…” He turned his gaze to the man beside him, teal eyes pleading. “Don’t tell him, Ruffus… _please_.”

“Of course, My Lord,” Came the response. “Such a thing is between you and His Foundership. It’s not my place to intrude.”

“Dad… are you really…?” Theo mumbled and Ruffus moved aside so the boy could kneel beside his father, who bit at his bottom lip nervously. “… _Really_?”

Trying to fight off another wave of sickness, the vampire all but collapsed against the back wall, running a shaking hand through his sweaty bangs. “…I am, Theo.”

The little boy was quiet for a moment as he processed the information, eyes distant and head downward. Then, slowly, a smile grew over his lips and he lifted his gaze to his nervous father. “I’m going to be a brother. I’m going to be a brother! That’s so cool!”

“I’m not sure how your past pregnancy went, My Lord,” The butler stated after a few moments of silence, pulling two pairs of eyes toward himself. “But it seems this little one dislikes this current form of nourishment.”

“But what am I supposed to do?” Marshall groaned, laying a hand over his lower abdomen as it twisted painfully. “If I don’t eat red, _I’ll_ starve.”

“Maybe you should try eating both?” His son offered, earning a frown from the vampire. “Red for you and solid food for her.”

“Doesn’t hurt to try…” The dark-haired man mumbled, letting out a weak sigh. “What do candy-people _like_ to eat?”

 Ruffus gave a small huff of what might have been amusement as he stood, grabbing a hand towel from beside the sink. Both of the pale men watched him as he ran it beneath some cold water, before kneeling back down to wipe at the distraught man’s face. “In my experience, My Lord… sugary treats.”

Pushing away the thoughts of, _isn’t that cannibalism?_ , Marshall gave a weak sigh. “Alright… I guess we’ll give it a shot. I suppose the worst that could happen is throwing up again.”

A passing maid eyed them curiously as they all slipped out of the bathroom, but she went ignored as Ruffus quite literally scooped the ill vampire up into one arm and began walking toward the man’s sleeping quarters.

“I’m perfectly capable of walking!” The pale man cried as the other began to ascend the steps. “I just got sick, it’s not like I a broke a leg!”

“And I will see to it that you don’t, My Lord,” The butler replied as he approached the other’s room and opened the door. “At this moment, however, you need rest. I will bring you some nourishment when you awaken.”

A pout on his lips, the older crossed his arms as he was placed on the bed effortlessly. “And how will you know when that is?”

Golden eyes fixed him with a look as the large man let out a breath of, “I hear _everything_ ,” before he slipped from the room, leaving a disturbed Marshall Lee behind.


	10. Darling don't be afraid

Guests had begun arriving precisely on time, a majority of them paying no attention to the staff that offered to take their coats and show them to the ballroom.

Inside of the large hall was a table displayed with all kinds of appetizers and refreshments, along with a large, 3-tiered red velvet cake with crimson frosting. Waiters were scurrying around, carrying trays with glasses of fine wine piled on top, offering them to anyone they came across.

Those who had already arrived were mingling quietly, catching up on what had gone on since their last visit, or chatting about current events.

And amongst them all, Marshall Lee stood beside his partner, his son at his side, greeting every single person that approached as Bubba introduced them.

“Doctor Bier and his wife, Lady Faux,” Bubba stated as the large, burly man from before approached, now dressed in a fine suit with a woman at his side, her white dress elegant and flowing beautifully across her orange and white skin. Her ginger hair was pulled back into an elegant up-do and her dark eyes were certainly more welcoming then her husband’s.

“It’s a pleasure, My Lady,” The vampire stated smoothly, taking the woman’s hand and kissing the back of it. She smiled warmly at him as he pulled away, reaching down to place a gentle hand on Theo’s shoulder.

In turn, the little boy gave a quick bow. “Thank you for attending, Doctor Bier, Lady Faux. We are delighted to have you.”

The ginger woman swooned for a moment, while her grizzly partner gave Theo an once-over, before leading his wife away.

Eventually, the rest of the guests arrived and the family departed to go ‘mingle’, each heading off in their own direction. Bubba immediately moved over to some of the sponsors to catch up, while Theo shyly went to stand by the appetizer table. Marshall, feeling incredibly out of place, went to schmooze his way into conversations and socialize.

“You certainly appeared mysteriously,” A woman - with ears atop her head that reminded him of Fionna’s hat – stated with a warm smile.

Feeling himself blush a little (though if by force or not, he wasn’t sure), the dark-haired man fixed her with the same expression. “Well, I’ve always been around… We simply weren’t in same place at the same time.”

“Until the other day, that is,” The woman’s companion - a young lady with silver skin and hair, two large ears atop her head – hummed wistfully. “How did you two meet up? Did you happen to run into each other by chance?”

Now sure that his entire face was red, Marshall fought hard not to tear his gaze away and hide in a corner. “Well, it seems that a few of Burton’s colleagues arranged our meeting, though I’m honestly not sure of the story behind it. I only know that I was meant to meet The Founder… I was unaware that he was, in fact, Burton.”

“Had you never seen The Founder before?” The gray-skinned woman gasped in surprise.

Ah yeah, there was that. _Everyone_ had seen The Founder. Even Theo had known what he’d looked like, so they were wondering why the vampire was clueless. Oh well… Fibee had told him to tell the truth.

“To be honest…” He sighed, dramatically. Best to tune up the romance of the story, if he could. “Until my son was born, I was in a state of shock. I thought I had lost the only person I’d ever loved… I was in a trance.” Their eyes were wide, completely engrossed in his story. “Once Theo came along, I was broken from a dream-like state and from then on, he became… he became everything to me. Please, excuse me…” Sucking in a forced deep breath, he didn’t miss the sympathetic looks on their faces. “I spent my time focusing on him, the world around me was really just… a blur.”

“That’s just awful…” The rabbit-eared woman whispered, a hand over her heart. “Heart-broken for so long…”

“But now…” Turning, the dark-haired man smiled wistfully across the room at Bubba, who was conversing with an older gentleman. “We’ve found each other again, against all odds…” His cheeks turned red again – this time by force – and he turned to gaze at the women. “I’m so sorry, please excuse me! I don’t mean to bore you with my story.”

They both shook their heads quickly, their faces begging for more, but it was cut short as a gentle hand was placed on Marshall’s arm and he was turned around. Lady Faux gave him a warm smile, asking the two women if she could borrow him before pulling him away as they reluctantly nodded.

“Mr. Abadeer, you simply _must_ share a drink with me,” The ginger-haired woman called as they approached the appetizer table, arm in arm.

He felt the pit of his stomach sink. What was he supposed to say to that? It would be rude to turn her down, but he _couldn’t_ drink – not in his current state.

Trying to think of something to distract the woman, Marshall’s eyes caught hold of something and he mulled the thought over in his mind before sending her a warm smile. “Oh no, I couldn’t.” At her surprised look, he turned, motioning to the large cake on the table. “I’m trying to save room for a piece of this delicious cake. It really is quite beautiful. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more extravagant shade of red!”

Instantly, the woman’s cheeks flushed as she turned to look at the confection in question. After a few seconds, she turned to smile at him. “I’m so glad you approve, Mr. Abadeer! I worked tirelessly on it. Burton explained to me your need for the color red, so I tried to get it the richest shade that I could for your enjoyment.”

Dark eyebrows shot up in mock-surprise. “Oh my, Lady Faux! It was you who made this?” At her delighted nod, he gave her a warm smile. “I was unaware! It looks absolutely delicious, My Lady!”

A fond look on her face, the woman seemed to notice something after a moment as she let out a gasp. “Oh! This must be your boy.” As the vampire turned to look, she motioned over Theo, still standing alone by the end of the table.

“Hello, Lady Faux,” The little boy addressed with a polite bow as he came to stand beside his dad.

“Your father and I were just discussing this cake,” The ginger-haired woman informed as she motioned to the object in question. Marshall couldn’t help but feel she was testing his son’s opinion of it. “Do you like cake, Theo?”

Pale cheeks lit up and the child pressed himself up against his parent’s side, looking shy. “I… I’ve never had it, My Lady.”

“Things like cake and sugar were a luxury we couldn’t afford,” The vampire informed as he wrapped an arm around his son, inwardly applauding the boy as the woman before them looked like her heart had been wrenched from her chest.

“Oh sweetheart, you can come to my bakery any time and have as many sweets as you want!” She cried, reaching out to the boy, who instantly flushed and moved to hug her. “You poor thing!”

Eventually, they were called in for the feast and Bubba shot his family a warm look, sitting beside them at the end of the long table. They both fixed him with adoring smiles – ever the show in the presence of company – and the meal began without a hitch.

About halfway through the first course, however, things began to go wrong. (Marshall had known something had to _eventually_ , so he wasn’t entirely surprised.) Bier, seated beside Theo, had been waving his hand extravagantly in the midst of conversation, only to jump in surprise as he knocked his glass of wine, spilling it all over the table.

…And the little boy beside him.

Panic immediately filled the child, a shaky breath falling from his lips as he tried desperately not to let out a horrified scream. Before anyone could take a moment to react, he was being scooped to his feet and taken from the room by a strong, comforting hand on his back, the world around him seeming to blur.

“It’s alright, Young Lord,” A voice cut into his thoughts and he realized it was Ruffus. They were standing in the large kitchen, chefs all around them cooking frantically. The large butler was on one knee before him, dabbing at his fine purple clothing with a cloth.

“R-Ruffus…” The boy whimpered, finally allowing the tears to slip from his eyes. “I’m… I’m dirty, I-… They’re not… they’re not going to like me anymore…”

The tan-skinned man locked eyes for him for a moment, before a large hand reached out, laying across his pale cheek. “Young Lord, many times have I met every guest that graces that room at this very moment… and you, by far, are cleaner then all of them.”

A shaky breath left Theo as the man dabbed at his nostrils, which had begun to leak. “R…really?”

With the smallest bit of a smile, the butler nodded, before reaching up to tap his nose. “I can smell it.”

Suddenly another form was at the boy’s side and he was pulled into strong arms, his father crushing him against his chest as his shoulders shook.

“I’m so sorry,” Marshall mumbled, kissing the boy’s head.

“I-I’m okay now…” His son replied, pulling away and reaching down to tug at the front of his clothes. “At least they’re already purple, right?”

With a small noise of distain, the vampire reached out and began to unbutton the child’s waistcoat, pulling it off of his arms. He handed it over to Ruffus - who gave a quick nod and disappeared to properly clean it – before looking down into the boy’s blue eyes. “If you don’t want to, Theo, you don’t have to come back.”

“I’ll be okay,” The child assured, only to smile fondly as Riffa suddenly appeared, a fresh waistcoat – this one a deep blue – in hand. “Thank you.”

“Of course, My Lord,” The woman replied, moving to help him dress in it.

The vampire let out a slow breath as he took the boy’s hand, forcing his façade back into place. Together, they re-entered the dining room, hand in hand.

“Leaving in the middle of a meal-” Bier was muttering, earning a scolding look from his wife.

“Oh Bier, he’s only checking on his son!” Lady Faux protested. “Honestly, just because you were a terrible father, you can’t recognize a good one-”

“Please excuse the interruption,” Marshall cut in as he and Theo took their seats once more, ignoring the worried looks his partner was sending his way. “Things are alright now.”

“Oh, I’m so glad!” The ginger-haired woman declared, before she sent the boy an apologetic gaze. “Please excuse my husband’s clumsiness, Young Lord!”

“Oh no, My Lady, it’s quite alright,” the child replied with a winning smile, the traces of tears gone from his face in an instant. “We all have our moments of ungainliness.”

As her husband fumed, the woman took a moment to giggle. “That’s quite a big word!”

“I am an avid reader,” Theo informed as dinner continued around them, his father watching carefully as he idly sucked the color from some cranberries. “I’ve recently read your works on using bake sales for charity. I found them very enduring.”

“Oh, those old things!” She tittered.  “If you liked those, you should read my recipe book, ‘100 cakes to share with the community’.”

The child seemed shy, suddenly. “Oh, I’m no good in the kitchen, I’m afraid. My parents are quite a bit better then I.”

Beside him, Bier let out a quiet scoff, earning a few pairs of eyes. “Your _parents_?”

Instantly flushing, the dark-haired boy let a hand fly to his mouth. “Oh, excuse me…! Sometimes I forget that His Foundership isn’t related by blood. You see, he’s treated us with such an astonishing amount of kinship, I… I consider him family.”

Marshall was, to say the least, impressed. Around them, people were listening in, eating out of Theo’s little palm like they were starving. His son was playing the political game like a seasoned pro, despite having never stood on the field.

Eventually the meal ended (after a serving of the cake, which Marshall had to admit, was _very_ good) and the guests began to dwindle, bidding farewell and telling the Abadeers what a pleasure it had been to meet them.

After the last of them had gone, Lady Faux gave the vampire a kiss on either cheek. “It was such a delight meeting you, Mr. Abadeer!”

“As it was you, Lady Faux,” He replied, genuinely meaning it. Of all the guests, she was by far his favorite… which left him wondering why she was married to such an awful man.

“I hope to see you in my bakery soon, Young Theo!” The ginger-haired woman addressed and the little boy smiled widely with a nod.

As she slipped from the room, heading toward the elevator, her husband reached out to grab Marshall’s chin in a firm grip. Bubba sucked in a sharp breath, but the vampire held his head high, staring down at the grizzly man with eyes that wouldn’t back down.

“You’re lucky your son is a smooth talker like you, _harlot_ ,” The man sneered, earning a gasp from The Founder. “Let’s hope it stays that way.”

With that said, Bier turned and stormed from the room, leaving the family to stand in silence for a few moments.

Then, slowly, the pink-haired man let go of the painful breath he’d been holding. “…I didn’t know he was treating you like that, Marshall.”

“He can treat me however he wants,” The vampire growled as he scooped up his horrified child into his arms. “But _not_ in front of my son.”

The Founder watched painfully as his partner left the ballroom, carrying his little boy, his back stiff. Bier had always been a cruel man – taking his position of power with far too much greed – but he had _never_ expected the man had it in him to call Marshall something like that to his face… especially in front of a _child_.

After giving the vampire some time to cool off – meanwhile seeing to it that the maids had the cleanup from their get-together under control – Bubba made his way upstairs only to find himself surprised.

Ruffus was standing in front of Marshall’s door, his body as much of an unmoving wall as ever. As the pink-haired man approached he gave a small bow, turning toward him. “Lord Abadeer has requested solitude for the rest of the evening, Your Foundership.”

Instantly, the pink-skinned man found himself frowning. “But-”

“It’s been requested that I _insist_ , sir,” The pale-haired man informed.

For a few moments, the older stood there, waiting for his butler to give in and walk away. Eventually, however, he realized that the man was as stubborn as he’d always been and he let his head hang. “…Has he been crying?”

The other seemed at a loss for a few moments – though his expression gave none of it away – before he calmly answered, “Yes, Your Foundership.”

Feeling his heart sink, Bubba meekly felt torn. He didn’t want to leave Marshall to cry alone, but he wanted to respect his loved one’s request for privacy… Feeling defeated, the man slowly turned on heel and retired to his own room, hoping that someday the other wouldn’t shut him out.

Not that he would willingly allow it to come to this point ever again.

* * *

By the morning, Marshall felt a little bit better after hearing from Fibee that some of the sponsors had enjoyed his and Theo’s company so much that they’d donated to the scientists that very night, in _large_ amounts.

The night before, he’d been forced to openly admit to his son what his previous job had been. The boy – who had admitted he’d known, but not really understood – had been horrified. He’d yelled at his father, declared that the man was too good to sell his _body_ to strangers, before calming down to weakly ask if he had been the result of such a thing.

It had broken the vampire’s heart as he held his son close, carefully assuring the boy that, _no, you weren’t_ , before crying silently into the child’s hair.

Eventually Theo had apologized for yelling at him and promised him that he didn’t view him as any less of a person, before he’d put the boy to bed and retired to his own room to cry himself to sleep.

The following day was starting to look up though, thankfully… at least, until Ruffus requested an audience with him while feeding Schwabl.

“I wish I could, Ruffus,” He sighed as the feline clawed at his ankles, meowing desperately. “Seeing a doctor would be great, but… what if they tell Bubba? I can’t risk that…”

“She’s a personal friend, My Lord,” The butler replied, eyeing the cat at the other’s feet with eyes that seemed to be full of distaste, though his face remained blank. “She will not reveal your secret. You have my word.”

The vampire seemed at a loss as he placed the bowl of diced fish down, Schwabl instantly rushing up to it.

Seeing a doctor _would_ be a good thing. He’d done it with Theo and things had gone smoothly… at the very least, the woman in question would be able to tell him how much longer he had.

A wave of nausea so strong that it nearly knocked him backwards washed over the man and he threw a hand over his mouth, swallowing down any more protests. Ruffus placed a steady hand against his back and after a moment, the older man managed a weak nod, before he was out of the room in an instant, losing breakfast.

* * *

“Nausea is completely common.”

Doctor Keinain – who preferred to go by Kei – was a tall, thin woman with lightly tanned skin and hair of the same color. Atop her head were two large, upward dog-like ears, and her eyes were the same golden shade as the pale-haired butler that had forced Marshall to come see her.

She was, apparently, also Ruffus’ mother.

“Most pregnant patients experience nausea,” She explained as he sat in the chair opposite her, the woman’s son at his side. “So you shouldn’t be concerned about it. It should ease up about a third of the way through the pregnancy, though it may vary.”

“I didn’t have any at all with Theo,” The vampire admitted as the woman lifted a device from a drawer and motioned for him to lay back.

“It varies from case to case,” Kei explained as she had him unbutton his black top. “You’ll find that each pregnancy is different. Especially since they have different fathers.”

The dark-haired man had been surprised to find that the scientific research center had its own fully functional miniature hospital located on three of its lower levels. Apparently, accidents were so common in the lab that it was logical to have staff there that could respond immediately.

Bubba had locked himself away in his lab, on the verge of ‘something sciencey!’ After explaining that The Founder always disappeared when he was nearing something promising in his research, Ruffus had rushed Marshall down to see his mother when all eyes were elsewhere.

Doctor Kei pressed the end of her tiny machine against the vampire’s stomach and instantly, a quiet sound filled the air. It was unmistakable… a heartbeat, strong and steady, echoing around the room and bringing a smile to the man’s face.

“How long ago was it?” She asked as she moved the machine and pulled another one over, taking a seat in the provided beside-chair.

Trying to fight the blush that threatened to rise to his cheeks, the dark-haired man answered, “About two weeks ago.”

“And how do you like life in the Capital?” The golden-eyed woman asked as she powered up the machine. “I see you all over the news. Reading to children at the library, taking your son to the park… You’re quite the celebrity.”

Watching her nervously as she grabbed a bottle of something and popped open the lid, Marshall mumbled, “It’s different than I expected, but… I’m happy.”

“The best thing to do, in my opinion,” Kei hummed with a somewhat fond smile. “Ignore Bier. He throws his power around a lot, but if he knows he can get to you, it’s that much worse. This is going to be cold.”

With a solemn nod, the pale man winced a bit as she dabbed a bit of the liquid onto his lower abdomen, before pressing a rounded device against it.

After humming for a few moments, the brunette smiled softly. “Ah, just as I thought. A little girl.” The screen was turned away from him, so the dark-haired man was unable to see. “Honestly, I’m not sure what to tell you about a due date, Lord Abadeer, because to be frank… there’s no data on vampires _or_ candy-people. But it seems she’s about a fourth of where she needs to be.”

“Already?” The man mumbled in surprise, looking down at his stomach. “That’s _fast_ …”

Kei spared a glance at her son as he leaned in to view the screen. “Some time ago,” She went on, shooting Ruffus a huff. “Before I worked here, there was a woman who gave birth in two weeks. Time varies for all people, Lord Abadeer. There’s so many hybrids now a days that it’s impossible to tell what’s average.”

Before the vampire could respond, the doctor turned the screen and he got a look at the image. Blurry and dark, he could just barely make out the tiny shape of a person, curled around themselves.

“Not the prettiest sight at the moment,” The brown-haired woman hummed as her charge stared, in awe. “But if her parents are any indication, she’ll be a heart-stopper.”

“She’s beautiful…” Marshall whispered, unaware of his surroundings as the brunette removed the machine from his stomach and wiped the liquid off.

In all honesty, he couldn’t really make out most of the image on the screen, but it was the nostalgia behind it that left him in awe. A little girl… Innocent and strong, growing inside of him. Not only that, but she had come from _love_ , from he and the man he had spent a millennium thinking he’d never see again.

“My suggestion is to keep doing what you’ve been doing,” Doctor Kei concluded once the vampire had shrugged his shirt back on. “Eating solid foods and red evenly. Try consuming different types of food, as well - see what settles best. If you instantly get sick after eating a bowl of grapes, don’t eat them again.”

“Got it,” The man replied as he stood from the seat, smiling.

“The nausea should pass soon,” She assured, reaching out to place a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Come back if it doesn’t let up. I want to see you again in two weeks, as well.”

After promising to visit soon, Ruffus bid his mother farewell, before helping Marshall shrug on the designer sweatshirt he’d worn there, pulling the hood up over his dark hair. One pair of sunglasses later, the two of them were leaving the hospital room for the elevator in silence.


	11. I have loved you

The Founder had discovered the cure for the virus to the west - and not with a moment to spare. It had begun to spread, but a quick shipment of vaccinations had stopped it in its tracks, saving hundreds of thousands – if not millions – of lives.

The one thing he wanted to do after spending all of that time away from his family was celebrate with them, no matter what it entailed. So it was incredibly easy to give in to Fibee as she demanded he take the Abadeers out, insisting that he needed to be seen with them because _there’s only so much good press that can come from Marshall alone!_

They’d been there a month, dashing around town and appearing in the tabloids. Fibee had scheduled their lives down to the very second, but so long as she left free time for them, neither of the dark-haired men minded so much. (Well, at first they’d fought it a little, but after some weeks it had just become routine.)

Theo was dressed in a pale sea foam blazer, which covered a black button-up, a white ribbon tied around his neck. Hanging to about his knees was a pair of black shorts, white socks nearly reaching their trim, with dark shoes covering his feet. He was smiling at the top of the stairs as he called to his father, telling him to _hurry up, or we’ll be late!_

When he laid eyes upon Marshall Lee, the candy-man felt his heart soar. Dressed in a black waistcoat over a white button-up, with a deep red blazer and a pair of black skinny jeans… the vampire seemed to be _glowing_. He appeared elegant and poised as he followed his excited son down the steps, head held high and posture perfect.

…And Bubba hated every moment of it.

Was this what he had condemned his loved one to? Turning into someone he _wasn’t_? What had happened to that laid back, care-free man he’d known all those years ago?

Sucking in a deep breath as the two dark-haired men approached, the taller form tried to force a shaky smile. He told himself that Marshall was different now, that it had been a _thousand_ years and people changed. _He’d_ changed. Yet when he saw the other, he couldn’t help but feel like it was he who had twisted the person his loved one once was and turned him into some… some…

…Some sort of _royalty_.

“Are we going or not?” The vampire questioned, cutting into his thoughts as he cocked one hip to the side, a hand upon it. “Because you’re just kind of standing there, awkwardly staring at me… and it’s making me really uncomfortable.”

Seemingly stunned for a moment, the younger man slowly found himself grinning. Because underneath all that poise and elegance… was the cocky ‘Vampire King’ he’d known before.

“And now he’s smiling at me,” the pale man mumbled as his son laughed. “I’m getting a little werided out here.”

Theo jumped in surprise as Bubba moved forward, wrapping his arms around his partner’s waist and lifting him up, hugging him against himself. Teal eyes stared down into violet ones in surprise and confusion, but The Founder was all smiles, gazing up at the pale face above him.

“…Why are you holding me like this?” Marshall asked, seeming a little nervous as he wrapped his arms around the other’s neck.

The younger grinned up at him. “What? I thought it would be romantic~! Are you afraid of heights now, Marshall Lee?”

“Afraid of being dropped on my face, maybe,” The other huffed as he was placed back on the ground.

“Did you forget how to float?” His partner chuckled as he turned toward the elevator, missing the ashen look that crossed the older man’s face. “Have you gained weight, by the way?”

“He hasn’t seen me in how many days and all he has to say is rude things?” The vampire asked his son lightly, earning a small laugh. “Well you look especially pink today, Bubba. Take that!”

“Dad, that’s so mean!” Theo gasped dramatically as the elevator doors opened and the family stepped on.

Bubba couldn’t help but chuckle as the boy’s father gave a defeated sigh. “You’re right, Theo,” The older man said. “I’m sorry, Bubba.”

“Apology accepted,” Came the response as The Founder leaned in, kissing Marshall on the lips quickly. “Shall we?”

The ride to the restaurant was short, idle chit-chat following them as they went. Their reservations were picked up as soon as they entered without question and they were taken upstairs, to a private balcony for VIP guests.

“Look dad, you can see the lake from here!” Theo cried as they took their seats, his eyes alight with wonder. “Did you know the lake connects to the waterway in every major water city? It’s why they don’t allow swimming in it.”

“Is that so?” Marshall inquired, giving the waitress a smile as she handed over their menus. “That makes sense to me.”

“Me too!” The little boy declared, gripping at the balcony rails with excitement as he peered upon the crystal blue waters. “And, and-”

He went on like this for some time, even as they ordered their meals. Together, the two adults listened with smiles on their faces, their fingers entwined on the table’s surface.

“-And that’s when Founder’s Day was established,” Theo declared between bites of a white-sauced pasta, which he was happily enjoying. “Did you know it falls upon The Founder’s birthday?”

“I’m pretty sure I knew that, Theo,” Bubba chuckled as he forked his own dish with a smile. Beside him, Marshall was sucking the red from a bowl of freshly picked strawberries.

“Oh, right,” The little boy breathed in embarrassment, his cheeks flushed. “Because you’re The Founder. I’m so stupid-… dad?”

“What?” The vampire asked, quickly lowering his hand from where it had been across his mouth.

Warily looking his father up and down as the man’s partner became worried, the little boy quickly spat out, “Can I go to the bathroom?”

“Of course you can,” Marshall told him immediately, before he stood and held out his hand. “Why don’t I join you?”

“…Marshall?” His pink-haired loved one called, but the dark-haired man was already disappearing behind the balcony doors. “…How odd.”

After pulling closed the extravagant copper door of the VIP bathroom, Theo turned toward his father, who was hunched over the sink. “Dad, are you still getting sick…?”

Teal eyes lifted and turned toward him, a weak smile across pale lips. “The doctor assured me that it’s normal, Theo. Don’t worry.”

“Ruffus told me that she said it should go away soon… _two weeks_ ago,” The little boy breathed, moving up to the man to place a hand on his back.

With a sour expression, the vampire dropped his head. “I think Ruffus and I need to have a talk about what sort of information he shares with you.”

Theo frowned deeply as the man beside him let out a shaky breath. Slowly, he moved his hand, instead grasping onto his father’s thin arm. “Dad, you need to go back to the doctor…”

“I’m alright, really,” Marshall assured as he turned, placing a hand on the boy’s head. “She probably just didn’t like lunch. It’s totally understandable, okay? Don’t worry about me, Theo… If things get any worse I’ll go back.”

With a numb nod – despite the fact that he completely disagreed – the little boy took his parent’s hand and together they left the room, returning to the dinner at The Founder’s side.

* * *

His dad had gotten worse, but as much as Theo tried to push it, the man wouldn’t let up on his insistence that he was fine and that there was no need to worry.

Despite the fact that he should have been gaining weight, he almost seemed to be losing it – his face, arms, and wrists had all grown thinner. He also seemed weaker, now, and exhausted most of the time… Fibee had even complained about the dark circles under his eyes and how much extra time the makeup team needed to fix it.

His throwing up had become a daily thing, although he tried desperately to hide it from his son. It seemed that whatever he ate – be it solid or pigment – would come back up in a matter of hours, leaving him tired and worn out.

Eventually, Fibee had decided to give him a break news-wise, ceasing her assault of public appearances. It seemed even she could sense something was wrong…

…Yet The Founder remained blissfully unaware, if only because he had been forced to depart from the Capital days before in order to see how things were fairing in the west. Ruffus had gone with him and leaving with the butler was any chance that Theo had of forcing his parent to return to the doctor, as none of the other staff were aware of his state.

It eventually came to a point where he was tempted to tell _someone_ – at the very least Riffa – in order to gain his father _some_ sort of medical treatment… but every time he managed to work up the nerve he imagined the press finding out and his father hating him for it.

By the time the two men returned nearly a week later, his father hadn’t risen from his bed in almost twenty four hours. The Founder, upon hearing that his loved one was sleeping, had decided not to bother him and had instead retired to his own room to rest.

Theo had tried to track down Ruffus, but the man seemed to be nowhere, despite having entered with His Foundership. Still, try as he might, the little boy was at a loss, unable to find the butler anywhere in the house.

And so with great reluctance, he eventually gave into his own uneasy sleep, nightmares plaguing his mind of his parent passing away during the night.

Then the screaming woke him.

Blood-curling and heart-wrenching, by the time it tore the little boy from bed and out of his bedroom, Ruffus was already shouldering open the door to his father’s.

Marshall was curled up on the plush bed, fingers digging into his lower abdomen, pained shrieks leaving his lips. His entire body was jerking in agony, his eyes clenched shut and a grimace permanent on his tear-stained face.

Without hesitating for a moment, the butler roughly scooped the man into his strong arms and made for the door, pushing past a horrified Theo. Watching as his dad clung to the large pale-haired man, the little boy recovered after a moment and stumbled after them. “Dad!”

It seemed that the commotion had awoken The Founder, because as soon as they’d reached the bottom of the stairs he was coming out from his own room, confusion clouding his exhausted form. When he laid eyes upon the group, however, a dismayed sound left him and he stumbled over.

“What’s going on!?” The tall man demanded as Theo pressed the button for the elevator, upon Ruffus’ instruction. “Marshall-! What’s happening to him!?”

“I can’t say, Your Foundership,” The dark-skinned man huffed as the vampire clawed at his night shirt, wounded sobs leaving him.

Assuming the other man was just as clueless as he was, Bubba stumbled into the elevator as it came open, the others joining him. As Theo pressed the directed button, the pink-haired man gazed upon his lover’s pained face, his heart sinking.

Marshall looked so… so _thin_. It was as if he’d been starving – his cheeks hallow and his limbs mere twigs.

When had this happened? He’d just seen the man a little over a week ago and the vampire had _seemed_ fine… Had he just not noticed the other’s state? Was this _his_ fault? Had the older been… starving himself due to depression?

 _Maybe it’s because you asked him if he gained weight_ , his inner voice told him and immediately the pink-haired man hated himself. How could he have done this to the man he loved!?

Ruffus was out the elevator doors before they’d completely opened, rushing past the front entrance of the hospital without a second thought. Instantly confused, The Founder followed after him, only to frown deeply as the pale-haired man huffed to a passing nurse, “Where is my mother?”

“Put him in that room,” She hurried, motioning to an open door to her right. “I’ll go get her!”

Instantly turning, the dark-skinned man slipped past the door and dropped the shaking vampire onto the bed. Both Bubba and Theo watched in horror as the butler grabbed hold of Marshall’s wrists, the pale man’s fingers now formed into long claws as he tried to gash at his stomach.

“It’ll be alright, My Lord,” The large man assured and suddenly, The Founder realized that his faithful friend knew exactly what was wrong with his loved one.

A woman with golden brown hair and skin suddenly pushed herself into the room, that same nurse at her side. She rather unceremoniously shoved the pink-haired man away in order to move toward Marshall, who had his teeth bared, hissing loudly at no one in particular. “Why wasn’t he brought here sooner!?”

Ruffus offered no answer, but The Founder was pretty sure she wasn’t actually looking for one.

“She needs to come out, _now_!” The doctor cried, moving over to a cabinet and quickly pulling it open. Her nurse gave a quick nod and helped gather some things, pushing Theo toward the door as she passed him.

“She-!?” The lanky man in the corner screamed in confusion as his butler’s mother jerked Marshall’s shirt open. “What are you doing-!?”

“Doctor, anesthetics-” The nurse attempted, only to be shot a deep glare.

“There’s no _time_!” With that said, the woman was digging the blade into Marshall’s skin, pulling another round of screams from the vampire as blood began to pour from him. “Ruffus, _hold_ him!”

The butler pinned down his lord’s wrists rather roughly, seeming unable to hold the incredibly strong man as sharp claws dug into his tanned skin.

A horrified look crossed Theo’s face as the woman finished with the blade and tossed it onto a tray, before reaching her hand directly _into_ his father’s body. Then she pulled, and as she did, a tiny form coated in thick, black goo came out, letting out a weak cry that was barely audible against Marshall’s own screams.

Suddenly, the little boy’s eyes were being covered and he was being pulled from the room by the tall form of Riffa, who scooped him up moments later as he began to wail. Without a word, the dark-skinned woman carried the boy from the halls, returning to the waiting room, where she took a seat with him cradled against her.

“Doctor-” The nurse wheezed and from his spot in the corner, Bubba could see that his partner’s insides were coated in that same black goo that the baby – _baby!_ – was covered in. “This is… this is _gum_ …”

“He’s going into shock!” The brown-haired woman cried as Marshall suddenly jerked, before stilling, his chest heaving quickly. In her arms, the infant was barely making noise, its frail form much too small. The woman seemed at a loss, her golden eyes jerking between the baby and its father, before quickly moving toward the pink-haired man across the room. “Burton!”

“I…” He offered, not really able to say much else.

“At this point, I can only save one of them!” The doctor barked, instantly sobering him up. “You need to choose!”

Pink lips dropped open, The Founder’s violet eyes widening in horror. Every second that ticked by felt like an eternity as he stared, dumbstruck by the scene before him.

Marshall Lee or… or his _child_. He could only save _one_.

“The baby!” Somehow, Ruffus’ words cut into his thoughts and he found himself staring wide-eyed at the large man, who was still holding onto his partner’s wrists, his shoulders shaking. “Save the baby! It’s what Marshall would want!”

A shaky breath left the horrified man before he slowly, weakly, gave a single nod. Both the nurse and the doctor seemed solemn for a moment before they were gone from the room, the sudden silence deafening.

The butler let out a slow breath, carefully removing his grip from Marshall’s arms, his own clawed and bloody. He took a step back, seeming to sink into the shadows and disappear, though still very much present in the stale room.

Bubba felt his feet move him forward, his partner’s face coming into view. There was black goo – _gum_ , his mind told him – coating the man’s insides from what he could see, but he forced himself not to think about it, instead focusing on his loved one’s face.

The vampire’s breathing was heavy and quick, his teal eyes half-lidded. He seemed too weak to even lift his head as it lulled to the side, his gaze seeing nothing, his entire form frail and…

…and _dying_.

“M…Marshall…” The pink-haired man found himself choking as he slowly reached out, gently cradling the other’s head and neck as he lifted him up slightly, pressing sugary lips to the man’s forehead. “I’m so… I’m so _sorry_ …”

Suddenly there were more people in the room as another doctor swooped in, pushing him out of the way. Before he could even blink, Ruffus was gathering him up and after a moment the lanky man realized he was screaming, reaching out for his fading partner as he was torn from his side.

Dying… he was _dying_! After a thousand years of being apart only to find each other once more, he was going to lose Marshall Lee… _again._

The next thing he knew, he was seated in the waiting room, hunched over in an uncomfortable chair with one hand over his mouth. Beside him, Riffa was holding on to Theo, who was weeping softly into her shoulder.

…Why hadn’t Marshall told him? How _long_ had it been? The vampire had only been in Roselyn a month and a half, so it couldn’t have been any longer than that… Why hadn’t he been told? Why!? Was the vampire ashamed? Was he afraid his partner would be mad? Or was he… was he worried about what the press would think?

Bubba felt sick at that thought. It was the most plausible answer… the older man must have been afraid about the negative reactions, so he’d hidden it, thinking he could wait for the initial shock of his arrival to wear down before releasing the news.

Beautiful… beautiful idiot. Candy-people pregnancies lasted on average two to three months. Demons were even shorter, if he remembered correctly, and a combination of the two…

…What had he been thinking? If he’d only _told_ the pink-haired man, then the younger could have explained the amount of sugar that would be flooding his system and he could have properly devised a way to _deal_ with it. But instead, the vampire had kept his secret and left himself malnourished, weakened, and…

…and essentially, dead.

“Your Foundership.”

Lifting tear-stained eyes, Bubba gazed upon the brown-haired doctor who had disappeared some time ago with his child. He was vaguely aware of Theo turning to look with exhaustion in his clear blue eyes, but he didn’t want to look at the little boy… not with the pain so fresh in his mind.

“You can come see her now,” The tall woman informed and he slowly stood, numbly following her from the waiting room.


	12. For a thousand years

He was taken in a separate elevator – _hospital staff only_ , it read – and down a hall decorated in pale pinks and blues. As the woman turned into one of the rooms, The Founder followed her, only to suck in a deep breath as his eyes caught sight of the scene before him.

In a glass case, with wires attached to her tiny form, was his daughter… with pink, sugar skin, and a head of black bubblegum hair that stuck thickly to the blanket beneath her, she was far too tiny, her little form weak and fragile.

“Obviously, he wasn’t to full term,” The doctor explained with a heavy heart. “Her body is frail. She was draining him dry of nourishment, but it seems it wasn’t exactly what she needed, because she’s malnourished as well. I…” She frowned, suddenly, her shoulders tense. “…I don’t know what to do. I don’t know anything about candy people or what can help her.”

Slowly, The Founder approached the glass, holding up a hand to press lightly against its surface. She was so small, so delicate, and… and she was _his_. His child. His _daughter_. Slowly, a sharp breath left his lips and he felt tears welling up in his eyes.

“I know what needs to be done,” He stated, turning to look at the woman, ignoring her look of surprise. “She needs strength. There’s a technique to it… one I’ve been using for a long time, though in the reverse. It will age her, make her stronger…”

Seeming a little skeptical, the doctor nodded. “What do we do?”

“Do you have some of her hair?” Bubba asked, earning a look of surprise. “I need to use it to calculate exactly what formula I’ll need…”

Resisting the urge to tell him that a child wasn’t some sort of science experiment, the woman turned toward the garbage can, where she had attempted to throw away the excess gum after cleaning the child off.

After reaching in to gather a handful up (and forcing himself not to make a face at the wet consistence of the material), Bubba gave his daughter one last glance before he left the room, making for the elevator that would take him back to his home.

He didn’t want to pass by Theo again… he couldn’t face the little boy, not knowing that he had condemned the boy’s father to death.

* * *

“Young Lord.”

Sometime during the night, Theo must have dosed off, because the next thing he knew there was a gentle hand on his back rousing him from a restless sleep.

It was Ruffus, looking down at him with golden eyes that were unreadable. “It’s your father,” The man stated, his calm voice making the little boy feel at ease. “You can see him.”

“He’s… he’s okay?” The child asked as he was scooped into strong arms, vaguely aware of Riffa flanking her brother’s side.

“He’s alive, Young Lord,” came the pale-haired man’s response.

After being placed on his feet just outside a door one floor up, the pale boy nervously reached out to twist the handle. The room seemed big and empty, its walls and floor a stale white and the form on the bed seeming smaller than ever beneath the thin blankets covering him.

There was a woman standing beside the bed, with ashen white skin – two black circles around her eyes – and a head of black hair. Atop her head two circular black ears were at attention and under her white coat he could see that her arms were black.

“I’m Doctor Punda,” The woman introduced to the two adults as Theo nervously crossed the room and came to a stop at his father’s bedside.

As the little boy slowly reached out to take the man’s still hand, she moved to the side of the room with Ruffus and Riffa, whispering quietly to them.

“The amount of sugar in him caused his system to go into a complete malfunction, which is why he is so malnourished,” She explained, unaware that the little boy was listening in with half an ear. “He has an extensive amount of glucose in his blood. Combined with the amount of dehydration, it’s caused him to slip into a Diabetic ketoacidosis… or a coma, if you will.”

Theo let out a shaky breath, his eyes welling with tears. His dad was… was in a _coma_? What if he never woke up!?

“Because he’s a vampire, we’re filling blood with everything he needs and transfusing it into his system,” Doctor Punda went on, eyeing the little boy. “Though it’s hard to say if it will work or not. Only time can tell.”

“What caused the pain he was feeling?” Ruffus inquired, well aware that Theo was listening. He knew the boy would ask later, if he didn’t now.

She frowned, her form deflated. “…It seems that the black substance – gum, we think – made its way into the child’s umbilical cord somehow, before ultimately beginning to make its way up into his veins.”

A sob left the vampire’s son and immediately the doctor bid them farewell before leaving, letting the two housekeepers take care of the little boy.

“What if he doesn’t wake up!?” Theo shrieked, staring up at his father’s sleeping face, an oxygen tube running just under his nose. “What if he stays in a coma _forever_!?”

“He’s going to wake up, Young Lord,” Ruffus assured as he came to stand beside the boy, kneeling down so he was level with the child. One hand lifted, gently rubbing at the small boy’s back as the three of them gazed quietly at Marshall’s unconscious form. “It may take time, but he _will_ wake up.”

“Come back to me, dad… okay?” The dark-haired boy whimpered as the butler pulled up a chair and placed him in it easily. “Don’t leave me… you promised you’d never leave me…”

“And he won’t, Young Lord,” Riffa assured. “Your father is a strong man and he needs you to be strong for him, as well. Can you do that?”

Lifting his clear blue eyes toward her, the little boy nodded numbly, before he returned his gaze to the bed-ridden man. “…Where’s The Founder?”

The twins seemed at a loss for a few moments, before Riffa let out a slow breath. “He is with your sister.”

Immediately, Theo’s face twisted up in what might have been distain. “She’s not my sister…” He whispered, making their chests tighten. “She almost killed my dad… I don’t care if she dies!”

Suddenly, strong hands cupped his cheeks, pulling his eyes toward golden ones. Ruffus’ stare was very serious, his lips downturned the smallest bit. “You don’t mean that, Young Lord,” he insisted, causing the child to lower his gaze. “Please, _please_ , never wish death upon another ever again. _Promise_ me.”

Letting out a shaky breath through his nose, Theo slowly nodded, before he leaned forward to wrap his arms around the large man’s neck. “I promise… I’m sorry…”

 Ignoring the intense gaze his sister was sending him, the pale-haired man held the shaking boy close, rubbing the other’s small back as tears soaked through the shoulder of his night shirt.

Silently, the large man found himself hoping that the frail form on the bed would awaken soon, if only for the sake of the little boy in his arms.

* * *

It had been some time since he’d synthesized candy flesh. It had always been a daunting task, requiring both a skilled level of baking and science, not to mention several hours of hard work.

On top of that, he’d been forced to calculate a separate formula from the ones he had originally used. Because of the DNA of the person in question being only half candy-person, he had to make sure the balance was _exact_ , or the excess amount of sugar could kill her.

…Kill her. Like it was killing her father. Because she was Marshall’s daughter… and she was _his_ daughter.

Forcing himself to ignore that thought, Bubba skillfully took a bit of the dried black gum from the pile on his table, before holding it up. It smelled of grape and now that it was free of the wetness it had been in, it was easily shapeable and manageable, just like his own hair. With a bit of nervousness, he tried his newest batch of material, holding up a small piece of the synthetic candy flesh and pressing the two together.

The love-hug part was the hardest bit, at this point. Because after fifteen failed attempts to make the right formula and the thought of his dying partner – _and_ daughter – weighing on his mind, The Founder was finding it hard to love anything at that moment. None the less, he filled his heart with as much of the feeling as he could muster as he pressed the combined materials against his chest and held them close, squeezing his eyes shut.

A slow, shaky breath left him and he found himself silently praying to whatever gods were left for this to work. He _had_ to save her… if he condemned her father to die only to lose her as well, then there would be noting left in the world, no reason left to go on. Marshall would be gone and his daughter would be-

Suddenly, the bit of hair in his hand grew, making him jump in surprise. Turning to gaze down at it, The Founder felt his eyes filling with a fresh wave of tears. Worked… it worked!

Not bothering to clean up his lab work, the man gathered the rest of the synthetic flesh and rushed from the room, stumbling down the hall and toward the elevator.

From there it seemed to take forever, making his way back toward the Hospital’s NICU, where the premature and weakened infants were kept. At first, he was stopped by nurses, but a quick call to Ruffus’ mom – whose name was apparently Doctor Kei – later he was standing in the room with his daughter once more.

“Are you sure this will work?” The woman asked as she carefully undid the lid for the glass case, nervously looking the man over.

“I’m certain,” He assured, before his heart caught in his throat as she scooped the tiny form into her arms and approached him.

His heart in his throat, Bubba gathered the little girl into his hold, careful to support her frail frame. She seemed so weak beneath his fingers, her tiny fists clenched and her black hair still wet and sticky.

…Sticky. Sticky! Oh, he was such an idiot! He’d forgotten his binding agent back in the lab, to busy rushing off to realize!

Panicking for a moment, the man carefully shifted his daughter to one arm before reaching into his pocket to grab the synthetic material with the other. Doctor Kei jumped in surprise a moment later as he held it out to her, his features firm. “Lick this.”

“…Excuse me?” She dead-panned, one eyebrow quirked.

The Founder’s face left no room for discussion. “Either you lick this, or you lick her. Your choice.”

Seeming disgusted by the idea, the woman leaned in, letting out a sound of repulsion as she ran her tongue over the material. To her instant surprise, it tasted somewhat… pleasant, almost seeming to have a hint of grape hidden in its sugary depths.

The pink-haired man didn’t give her long to think about it, however, as he carefully pulled the material back and eyed his daughter, swallowing a lump in his throat. Promising to never forgive himself if this didn’t work, Bubba pressed the licked part of the material against the girl’s sticky hair, before gently hugging her against his chest, letting love fill his heart.

Doctor Kei gasped in surprise as a bright flash of light assaulted her eyes, along with a loud _pop_! From there the light died down into a shimmer of smaller lights, before slowly fading away, leaving her vision blurry for a few moments.

As it cleared, she saw The Founder standing before her, his face twisted into astonishment. Clutched in his arms, where the premature infant had been… was now the form of a toddler, perhaps between stage two and three, a confused look on her pink face.

The man jumped in amazement as tears filled the girl’s eyes before she began to wail, obviously frightened. Moving slowly, as if awestruck, Bubba carefully wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against himself, rubbing her upper back gently. “There, there… it’s okay… it’s okay…”

“Did that… did that actually _work_?” The doctor gasped as the pink-haired man tried desperately to calm the little girl, kissing the side of her head gently, despite her sticky hair. “Did you really just… _age_ her?”

“As I said before…” he mumbled, bouncing his heels slightly to sooth the child. “Usually, I do the opposite… I _remove_ candy flesh from myself, in order to decrease my age… That’s how I’ve lived for so long.” She gasped, suddenly very much in awe of the pink-skinned man before her.

Eventually, the little girl began to calm, her tears dying into hiccups as she pressed a thumb into her mouth.

“There, there, precious…” Bubba whispered, rubbing her back as tears spilled from his eyes. “Daddy’s got you, it’s okay…”

His heart ached with such an overwhelming sense of _love_ that he couldn’t fathom it. He loved Marshall, yes – he had for a long time and he always would – but there was something… _different_ about loving a child. Something almost… almost _heart-wrenching_ , yet in all the right ways. It made his chest tighten up and his breath catch, a sense of pure, honest _pride_ filling him to the brim.

After giving him a few moments to just take in all that had happened, Doctor Kei cleared her throat, catching violet eyes. “You’ll be pleased to know that Mr. Abadeer made it.”

Instantly a gasp left the tall man, his back stiffening. “H-he… he’s alive?”

The brown-haired woman gave a small nod. “But I’m afraid he’s in a coma. It can’t be said when… or even _if_ he’ll wake up.”

Sucking in a deep, painful breath, The Founder took some time to mull over this fact. As much as he wanted to simply go and check on Marshall, there were some things he needed to do first. “…Do you happen to have any clothes or diapers in her size?”

“I’ll see what I can find,” The woman assured as she clasped him on the shoulder, before leaving him alone with his daughter.

His entire body numb, the man fell into a plush chair seated beside the glass case his child had once resided in. At first he felt numb, but then the thoughts began to fill his senses and he let them, knowing he would have to find time to come to terms with them eventually.

Marshall had to have been pregnant since their first meeting in Rhodevon, though when he’d found out about it was beyond Bubba. At some point, the vampire had become aware… maybe he’d thought about telling his partner but had been nervous at first.

Then things had started to buckle down, Fibee forcing them into the spotlight and Bier putting pressure on the dark-haired man. That was probably when the older had simply decided to wait until the time was right, or so The Founder assumed. Ruffus must have figured it out at some point – he could smell it from the beginning, most likely – and confronted him about it.

That must have been why Marshall’s weight had been off when he’d picked him up that time… usually, the vampire was virtually weightless, his buoyancy never changing despite how much or little he consumed. So the fact that he had seemed to be heavier had been odd, but the pink-haired man had pushed it aside, not thinking about it at the time.

After he’d left for the west was probably when things had gone downhill. And with butler – probably the only person to know, as Riffa wasn’t the kind to pry like her brother – gone as well, the man had grown more and more ill, until…

…Until what? He frowned. Why the sudden pain? Yes, she’d been draining him and overloading his system with sugar – probably the reason for the comatose state he was in now – but why had he been screaming?

Oh, of _course_. The _gum._ It had been everywhere, coated all over his insides… it had probably seeped out of the child’s home somehow and gotten into his system.

Doctor Kei had been forced to pull the girl out… and now, here she was, at least two stages older and clinging to his shirt, her body shaking.

It had been an emotional night and he had a feeling it wasn’t going to get any easier from here. But he forced himself to let that thought drop, because it was better to focus on what was happening at that moment, rather than the chaos that was to come later.

The girl needed a name and as much as he wanted Marshall to help him pick one, he knew that was impossible. So instead, he let different ones run through his head as the toddler fell asleep against his shoulder, her thumb still firmly in her mouth.

Grape… she certainly smelled like grape. Her pink skin was as sugary as his own, but her hair had a fragrance of the juicy fruit and it was almost overwhelming, his cheek pressed into it. Yes, something to do with grapes made sense, but what, exactly? He couldn’t just _call_ her grape, that would be… well, rather ridiculous.

Letting his mind drift back to Ooo for a moment, Bubba tried to remember the word for ‘grape’ from the many textbooks he’d studied growing up. Languages in the old, old world were various and unique, seeming almost endless, so it wasn’t impossible to find _something_ that would fit…

Podo?… no, that certainly wasn’t very elegant. Trauben? No, surely not… Raisin was most _certainly_ out. Not Drue, or Uva…

Slowly, a smile crept over his lips as he turned to gaze down at the sleeping girl. That was it… the perfect name… it was an ancient language, even in old, _old_ world terms, but he’d studied it after finding a book on it in his mother’s things.

Aloli. That would be her name. It fit her, he decided, as he rubbed her tiny back gently. Beautiful, just like she was.

Doctor Kei slipped into the room at some point, carrying with her a diaper and a spare set of clothes. As he looked at her in question, she held up her hands. “We keep spare things around in case of emergencies. You can’t imagine the random things we have.”

“I don’t think I want to,” He admitted as he slipped the girl off of his chest and gently laid her down on the table beneath the open glass case. Instantly, the toddler began to fuss as he dressed her quickly, like he’d been doing it his entire life. Once she was situated and back in his arms, calming down, he turned toward the woman. “What room is he in…?”

“Two floors up,” She replied with a sad smile. “Room 3-164.”

With a sober nod, Bubba held Aloli carefully as he slowly parted from the NICU and headed toward the elevator.

Theo had spent a long time crying at his father’s beside, eventually wearing himself into a distraught sleep. At some point, Ruffus curled the boy up in his arms and took his empty seat, leaning back and just letting the child rest against himself for some time.

Marshall Lee looked tiny in the bed, his breathing even. Ruffus felt guilty, every time he laid his eyes upon the unconscious man… he’d allowed the vampire to get to this state, not pressing him to return to see his mother even as time stretched on and he seemed to get worse.

His only hope was that the little boy in his arms would come to forgive him in time for making a mistake that nearly cost his parent his life. Even if he’d felt it wasn’t his place to pry, if he’d worked up the nerve to get a little more involved with the man’s health then he wouldn’t be in that bed, comatose.

The smell was making him sick, but he tried hard to fight it. Even cleaned and sterile, he could still smell the sugary blood that had coated the dark-haired man. It was flooded with glucose, so much so that it was a wonder he hadn’t died. Either way, Ruffus had to force himself not to focus on it as Theo shifted in his hold, trying to get more comfortable.

Suddenly the room’s door came open and the pale-haired man was immediately aware of the smell of His Foundership, unique and unlike any other. He didn’t have to lift his eyes to see who it was, however as he did a wave of surprise washed over him.

Resting against the man’s shoulder was a little girl, no older then stage 3. Her black hair was made of wet gum, sticking to The Founder’s face, dying his sugary pink skin a shade of purple. She was fast asleep, her head resting on him, her tiny form shaking slightly.

“…Your Foundership?” He found himself whispering despite himself, instantly rousing Theo from his restless sleep.

“…Hey,” Bubba mumbled as the dark-haired child rubbed at his eyes in clouded confusion.

“F-Founder…?” Theo whispered as he lowered his hands and blinked his orbs open. Immediately, his gaze was one of shock. “W-what-?!”

The pink-haired man’s free hand began to rub the little girl’s back as she stirred for a moment. “It’s a long story…” He sighed as he slowly moved to take a seat in an empty chair, opposite the others. “I… I had to age her. She was going to die if I didn’t, so…”

The pale-skinned boy seemed horrified as he gazed upon the sleeping toddler, his fists clenched. Quickly, he moved from his butler’s lap to cross the room, moving to take a seat in the windowsill.

Watching him for a moment, The Founder let a heavy breath fall from his lips, before he forced himself to turn his gaze toward the still man on the bed. “…How is he, Ruffus?”

“It’s hard to say, Your Foundership,” The butler replied, honestly. “They won’t know if they can help him until sometime passes. They’re trying to feed him blood full of nutrients, but they can’t be sure if it will even help, or if he has to drink it himself.”

Instantly, the older frowned. Marshall had sworn off blood some time ago – at least, as far as he was aware – so he would be extremely upset when he found out that they were doing such a thing.

…If he found out.

“It can’t be said when he will awaken,” The pale-haired man went on. The unspoken, _or if_ , that hung in the air after his words left a sober feeling lingering in the room.

“I want to stay with him.”

Turning, both of the men gazed upon the little boy curled up before the window, his eyes gazing out at the busy streets of Roselyn as morning stretched across the city.

“I want to stay with him,” Theo repeated. “I’m his family, so I can, right? I’m going to stay here until he wakes up. I’m not leaving him.”

“Young Lord-” Ruffus breathed, only to be cut off as Bubba gave a small nod.

“Of course you can, Theo.” Shifting the little girl in his arms, the man began to bounce her as she fussed a little. “He’ll want you here.”

Seeming frustrated for a few moments, the child slowly lifted his gaze to The Founder, before turning his eyes to the toddler in the man’s arms. He was silent for a few moments longer, before he spoke in a strained voice. “…Take care of her, okay? Make sure she’s happy… I know when my dad wakes up, he’ll want to see her…”

Smiling weakly, the pink-haired man nodded. “Of course. I’ll come visit with her every day, okay?”

“Okay…” Came the whispered response, before the child was turning his gaze out the glass once more.

“Ruffus,” Bubba stated, catching the large man’s attention. “I want you to stay with Theo, alright? Take care of him.”

“Yes, Your Foundership,” The butler replied, not admitting the fact that he preferred it this way.

He owed it to the boy, after all.


	13. I'll love you for a thousand more

The amount of flowers, cards, and stuffed toys that assaulted the hospital was so massive, the staff had to clear out an unused section of the lobby for guests to bring their gifts to, a sort of shrine set up that was visited daily by the masses.

Roselyn was mourning, their hearts breaking as each day passed without word of ‘The Destined One’s’ recovery.

 _The Destined One_ was a name they’d bestowed upon Marshall Lee at some point, declaring him fated to be with The Founder after chance had brought them back together. It was all over the news, day in and day out…

_The Destined One sleeps on._

_The Founder visits his Destined One._

_Will fate ever allow them to be?_

In all honesty, Theo was getting sick of it. Four nurses had been fired, trying to sneak cameras in to take pictures of his father as he slept, and it had come to a point where outsiders weren’t allowed to come within thirty feet of the room’s door, even if they were patients at the hospital.

The only upside to the situation was that the people didn’t know about his little sister. Originally, the boy had wished the opposite – he’d wanted the press obsessed with the little girl, just so they would leave his father alone – but after months had passed he’d come to realize that the last thing his sibling needed was cameras in her face.

Besides, his father could sleep through the chaos… she would be traumatized by it.

Just as he’d promised to do, the little boy stayed at his parent’s beside, departing from the room only for meals, bathroom breaks, and showers. Ruffus brought him everything he needed – changes of clothing, new books – and he stayed beside the bed tirelessly, a novel cracked open in his lap and words spilling from his lips as he read aloud to the slumbering man.

The Founder came to visit daily – as he said he would – taking the private lift from the NICU to avoid any unwanted attention. He brought with him little Aloli, who Theo had to admit, he had taken a liking to… At the beginning, he’d resented the little girl… hated and blamed her for his father’s hospitalization. But eventually he’d come to realize that she was an innocent and his hate for her had disappeared.

For someone who had lived five hundred years, time never seemed to pass slowly for Theo. He always busied himself with things to do, keeping his mind occupied … so it was no real surprise to him when the news headline read, _The Destined One sleeps on… six months now!_ The words, however, seemed to upset The Founder and so the boy quickly reached up, flicking the television screen off.

Thankfully, the blood transfusions had worked, giving the man the nutrition that he needed – though his partner had been reluctant about it – and bringing him back to a healthy state. Yet for some reason, day after day, he slept on… even after his blood sugar had stabilized, he remained comatose.

Aloli stepped up to the side of his chair, her teal eyes gazing up at him. As he shot her a fond smile, she held up her arms, curling and uncurling her fists.

“Up?” Theo asked, lifting a finger and pointing it upwards. “Say _up_ , Alo. _Up_.”

Instead of repeating him, the black-haired girl let out a whine, bouncing on her heels.

“ _Up_ ,” The boy tried again, only to sigh as she whined louder. As Bubba frowned, he reached down, scooping the toddler up into his lap. “Is she still not talking?”

“No matter what I try,” The Founder admitted, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. “I work with her on it every day… She just _refuses_.”

Releasing his sister as she climbed atop the bed and began to crawl across it, Theo sighed. “I don’t know what to tell you… Maybe she’s stubborn, maybe she’s just frustrated. It’s hard to tell.”

Aloli moved to sit beside the sleeping form on the bed, before laying across his chest, pressing her ear against him. It was something she had gotten into the habit of doing since she’d been coherent enough to figure out what was going on around her.

At first, it had been hard. Unlike a normal child, she didn’t have time to develop, growing from infancy to stage two and a half instantaneously. It had taken almost a month to get her to walk and eat on her own, both things still a little bit difficult for her fresh mind.

On top of that, after a visit with Doctor Kei they had come to learn that her hearing was impaired. Although not completely deaf, she could barely hear a thing, so she relied on a toddler-sized hearing aid that she preferred not to wear.

It was because of this that her father – the conscious one – and her older brother had begun studying sign language. It was a pretty uncommon practice – deafness nearly unheard of in Roselyn, where people could afford to get their children’s hearing fixed easily – but there were books in the library that both had been reading religiously.

Bubba had been trying to teach her both at once, using his hands in addition to the spoken words so she could learn the meaning of both.

“So dad is… ‘daddy’,” Theo said, tapping his right hand’s thumb against his forehead, his palm opened up. “And you’re… ‘papa’.” He made the same motion, this time wiggling his four fingers.

“Sounds good,” Bubba replied with a small smile, before he turned to look at his daughter as she rested on his loved one’s chest.

A moment of silence spilled across the room for a few moments, the elephant in the room completely unaddressed. Then, eventually, the pale boy lifted up the book at his side. “I’ve been reading him a romance novel about you and him. It’s ridiculously out of character. I thought he’d love it.”

“I bet he would,” The Founder chuckled weakly. “Want to read some? I’d love to hear how horrible it is.”

With a small nod, the child popped open the book and began to recite it, his heart heavy.

* * *

“Burton!”

Sucking in a deep sigh, The Founder took a seat in front of his video phone, pinching the bridge of his nose. He’d been putting off this call for months, but he knew he had to take it eventually… there was no denying now everything the man was going to say and as much as he hated to admit it, part of him knew there was truth behind the words.

Bier looked frustrated and grumpy, his shoulders stiff as he glared into his own camera. “It’s been _six_ _months_ since you’ve worked. I’m about to throw all of your funding into the waterway!”

“I know…” The pink-haired man mumbled, turning his gaze away. “I just… my daughter-”

“So hire a _babysitter_ ,” The brown-haired man sneered, looking disgusted. “Unless you want those headlines about your dead hooker to suddenly become about you losing your job, I suggest you get back on track!”

His face twisting up in a sneer, Bubba snapped a hand out, grabbing hold of the camera tightly. He imagined it was the other man’s he was grabbing - though which part of him he was unsure – as he shook the object. “He is _not_ a hooker and he is not **dead**!”

“ _You’ll_ be dead soon if I don’t start seeing some progress by the end of this week,” Came the gruff response before the screen went black, leaving the pink-haired man in stillness.

Slowly, he let out a breath. As much as he was beginning to hate his ‘boss’, the man was right… it had come to a point where he needed to return to working, if only part-time. He could only linger on something for so long before the real world needed to take over again.

And so, reluctantly, he called for Riffa and asked the woman…

“How do you feel about babysitting?”

* * *

Bier was getting tired of all of this. Burton was the _main_ source of income for the research center – his banquets alone getting more than 20% of their overall donations – and yet the man had taken _six months_ off to play house with his little broken family.

It seemed that instead of money going into his company, all of the sponsors were suddenly wasting it on things like flowers and stuffed toys for a dead whore. They were totally enamored with the slut… he was costing the grizzly man money and he _hated_ losing money.

Reaching for his video phone once again, the man scrolled down the list, until he’d found the correct number. With a smug smile twisting around his lips, he pressed the button, the call picking up to a blank screen and absolute silence.

“…Leo,” He whispered, only to hear an immediate response.

“Mr. Bier. What can I do for you?”

* * *

Theo had known it was coming. Really, there was no way of avoiding it… they couldn’t keep living life day to day like his father was just going to wake up from a night of sleep. Eventually, The Founder had to return to work and he needed to get away from the unconscious man’s bedside, least he go crazy.

So when the pink-haired man somberly asked him if he was willing to depart from the bed for some time each day to take care of his sister, the young boy couldn’t help but accept. He certainly didn’t want some outside nanny taking care of her and as much as he loved Ruffus and Riffa… they were extremely awkward with the little girl.

And so, feeling a bit bad about it at first, the boy had allowed the man he now considered a step-father (despite it not being an _official_ title) to teach him how to take care of the girl before he took over the task of watching her while the other returned to work.

It became a daily routine, after that. After waking up and having breakfast in the hospital, Theo would ride the elevator up to the house and take over watching his sister. He would spend hours trying to teach her to sign, showing her what colors were, or just playing with her in general… then, after dinner, he and Bubba would return to his father’s room to spend some time with him.

This day was looking to be just like any other – save for the fact that Aloli had correctly identified all of the colors of the rainbow for the first time – until they pushed open the door to Marshall’s room and found a man dressed in all black hovering over him with a needle in hand.

Instantly, Bubba was rushing him, but the guy was fast. He jerked backwards, landing some feet away, a long, black tail twisting out from behind him and black cat-like ears perking up on his head. His golden eyes gazed upon them for a moment before he attempted to rush the door, despite the fact that Theo still stood in his way.

Suddenly, the child was pushed aside - his grip on his sister tight – as a large form blocked the doorway. The black-clad man had no time to react as he slammed into a dark-skinned fist and fell to the ground, out cold.

“Ruffus!” Theo breathed heavily, a flustered smile crossing his face.

“Who is that man!?” The Founder cried as he hovered over his bed-ridden partner, his chest tight. “What was he doing!?”

“If you’ll allow me to be presumptuous, Your Foundership,” Ruffus huffed as he reached down and grabbed the man, slinging him over one, large shoulder. “I believe he was an assassin, hired to dispose of Lord Abadeer.”

The little boy at his side gasped, while the pink-haired man in the room threw a hand over his mouth.

Aloli, seeming to understand without really hearing, began to whine loudly. She motioned toward Marshall, before holding a hand above her chest – thumb sticking out – and moving it in a circular motion.

 _Please_.

Nodding numbly, Theo moved past the tall butler and over to the bed, placing his sister beside their parent. Instantly, the little girl ripped off her hearing device and pressed herself against his chest, her shoulders shaking.

“W-why would… why would someone…” Bubba choked. After a moment of gathering himself, he moved over to Ruffus, shooing the man from the room and pulling the door closed behind them. “Why would someone want him dead?”

“Again, I am only being presumptuous, Your Foundership,” The pale-haired man replied, shifting the form slung over his shoulder. “But you being absent from work, combined with a steady decrease of sponsor funds…”

Violet eyes went wide suddenly and the pink-haired man threw a hand across his mouth once more. “ _Bier_ …” As Ruffus gave a small huff in response, The Founder leaned against the far wall, dropping his head in his hands. “I can’t believe this, I… He would stoop this _low_ …”

“Men of power do awful things when they are threatened, Your Foundership,” Came the response from the younger.

Letting out a shaky breath, the shorter man lifted his head. “Take him to the police, please.”

“Yes, Your Foundership,” The butler replied before he bowed quickly and disappeared, heading for the private elevator.

His chest tight, Bubba allowed himself a moment to just sit and take everything in.

If it really _was_ Bier, then things were about to get crazy. The man would be thrown from his position… a new person would need to take his place…

Slowly, a smile crossed sugary pink lips.

And he knew _exactly_ who.

* * *

After being interviewed about exactly what they’d seen, the family was left in the dark about the investigation involving the assassin – apparently named Leo – that had attacked the bed-ridden man. Reluctantly, Bubba had shared his suspicions with the boy he considered a son, earning a horrified look from the other.

“It’ll be okay,” He assured Theo as the boy pushed his fish around his plate, frowning down at it. “They’ll catch the person who did it, _whoever_ it was. Have a little faith, okay?”

With a heavy sigh, the boy turned his eyes toward his little sister – who sat beside him – as she stared idly at his plate.

“Eat, Alo,” The pale sibling told her, tapping his lips against his mouth. “Eat.” As her gaze turned toward him, he motioned to her plate, which was virtually untouched.

Eyeing the plate for a few moments, the little girl snapped forward suddenly, sinking her teeth into her brother’s hand. As he cried out in alarm, his step-father shot across the table, grabbing the little girl.

Whining loudly as blood dripped from her lips, Aloli attempted to reach for Theo’s hand as he pulled it against himself, horrified.

“What was that!?” The dark-haired boy shrieked as she tried desperately to get to him. “What’s she doing!?”

“I think she’s a bit more like her daddy then we thought…” The Founder whispered in shock.

“But dad doesn’t _drink_ blood!” Theo cried, looking down to his hand, the bite mark still fresh. “He drinks _red_!”

“She’s too young to know how…” Came the meek response. “And I couldn’t begin to fathom how… until Marshall wakes up to teach her, we…”

Eyes widening in shock, the pale boy held up his hand. “We have to let her drink my blood-!?”

The man frowned, his shoulders tense. “Not yours. We’ll get some bags from the hospital… Until then, she can drink mine.”

With a heavy sigh he placed his daughter on the table and held out his hand in front of her, his stomach twisted in knots. He hadn’t seen this coming… The girl was only a forth vampire, yet for some reason it seemed solid meals just weren’t cutting it for her taste buds.

To his surprise – and distain – Aloli frowned up at him. He’d been a bit afraid of this, but he’d hoped that she’d been able to look past it… as a candy-person, his blood was filled with sugar, making it much sweeter then Theo’s. She seemed to realize that – smelled it, probably – and the idea put her off.

“I’ll do it, Your Foundership.”

Turning, the family gazed in surprise at the form of Ruffus standing near the kitchen doors, his face as blank as ever. When no one spoke, he approached, coming to stand beside The Founder.

“Ruffus…” The dark-haired young boy whispered as the man offered his hand to the little girl, only to wince as she bit down roughly. “I… I could have-”

“I can’t have you hurt, Young Lord,” The butler huffed, not even wincing as the toddler sucked on his hand hungrily.

Puffing up his cheeks for a moment, Theo slowly lowered his gaze, playing with his shoe. “I don’t want you to hurt, either…”

Aloli pulled away suddenly, reaching up to wipe at her mouth. Her parent frowned as she smeared her hands with blood, immediately wiping at her with a napkin. “…Thank you, Ruffus.”

“Of course, Your Foundership,” Came the response as the dark-haired little boy leaned across the table to wrap a cloth around his bleeding hand. “Should she require more, I am always willing.”

His stomach tight, Bubba glanced down at his half-eaten meal, his appetite far past gone. It seemed that his son felt the same way, because he fell back into his seat and pushed his plate away, a distraught look on his face.

“…I hope my dad wakes up soon,” Theo whispered, letting his blue eyes slip shut.

“Me too, Theo,” His step-father mumbled, wrapping his arms around Aloli and holding her close. “…Me too.”


	14. And all along I believed I would find you

After being promised a reduced sentence, Leo had cracked. He’d sold out his employer and – to the horror of the press – Bier was arrested, evidence of his call to the assassin confiscated upon his incarceration.

Roselyn was in shock. Of all of the wrong moves to make, trying to murder their Destined One was the worst. With how often Marshall was in the news, anyone to who dared to admit to not liking him was immediately ridiculed and even if, by chance, Bier was found not guilty… his name was so slandered that he would have to move out to the slums to get away from the hatred.

His position was free and instantly, people tried to grab for it. But Bubba was faster, putting in a good word at the board with confidence because… well, he was _The Founder_. If they were going to take anyone’s suggestions, it would be his, especially since his candidate had done her best to gain her own amount of positive press.

Lady Faux was more than happy to take the position once it was offered to her, calling up to personally thank Bubba after hearing of his recommendation. She publicly announced her intention to divorce her husband as she accepted the job, momentarily taking up the press.

Instead of ignoring the going-on’s with Marshall’s hospitalization and becoming frustrated at the lack of money coming in, the ginger-haired woman put out word that a percentage of all donations would be given to the hospital to care for The Destined One. Almost immediately, money began come in waves. Ultimately, the amount was more than the research center had ever received at one time and – true to her word – the woman gave a good portion of it to the medical area.

Eventually, the press died down and returned to its coverage of Marshall’s state, the world around them returning to numbness once again.

* * *

“’Marshall, I don’t care if you’re undead… you’re alive to me.’”

Bubba nearly choked on his juice as his step-son snickered down at the novel in his lap, turning the page. “It really says that?”

“Yep,” Theo snorted, before his cheeks suddenly flushed and he flipped the page again. “W-we’re gonna skip over this part, I-” His voice cut off as he flipped another page… then another, yet another following that one.

“I think we need to talk about what kind of books Ruffus brings home for you,” The Founder mumbled, before he turned his gaze as Aloli suddenly sat up from her place against Marshall’s chest. “Alo? What’s wrong?”

Seemingly stunned for a moment, the little girl reached out, placing a hand against her sleeping parent’s lips.

The two men were about to question her again when a wave of shock washed over them. Suddenly, a pale, weak arm lifted from the bed and gently rested atop the girl’s head of black gum hair.

“M…Marshall…” The pink-haired man choked as teal eyes were forced open against the dim light of the room, squinting heavily.

“Dad-!” Theo immediately cried, flying from his seat and toward the man’s side. “D-dad… Dad you’re… you’re really-!”

The vampire gave a heavy breath in response, his mouth seeming dry. He licked at his lips for a moment, before his features twisted up in confusion as Aloli pressed her tiny hands against his cheeks, her teal eyes wide. “W-wha…” He croaked, his voice strained.

“Here!” Bubba cut in, bringing the juice to the other’s lips, thankful that it was a deep shade of crimson. The dark-haired man nearly gagged as he choked down the color, his eyes squeezing shut as tears rolled from them.

“H…” The older attempted, blinking his tired orbs open against the light, intense although it was extremely dimmed. “H-how… how long…”

Sending a nervous glance to the boy he considered a son, the pink-haired man decided to be up front, turning his gaze back toward his loved one. “…Eight months, Marshall. You’ve been comatose for eight months.”

Confusion clouded the other’s features for a few moments as he stared up at his daughter’s form. “I… what?”

With a slow breath, the younger turned toward the rest of his family, carefully scooping up the youngest and holding her out to her sibling. “Theo, can you take her and get her something to eat?”

“But-” The little boy tried, only to frown at the serious look he gained in response. “…Okay.” As the toddler began to protest he let out a sigh, taking her in his arms and departing from the room.

Returning to his loved one, The Founder reached out, placing a gentle hand against the man’s dark hair. “There’s a lot to explain,” He whispered. “I think I should wait with some of it, you need time to soak it all-“ He fell silent, nearly shrinking back from the intense glare that met his gaze. “…Honestly! Alright, alright.”

With a heavy heart, Bubba began to explain to his loved one everything that had happened, starting with Aloli’s birth and continuing from there. He didn’t leave out a single detail, explaining about the aging process and how the girl had begun drinking blood two months ago. His shoulders stiff, he went on to tell about the press’ obsession with the vampire, as well as the assassination attempt and, ultimately, Bier’s incarceration.

Marshall remained silent throughout, his eyes half-lidded and his expression unreadable. He was too weak to lift his head, exhaustion evident on his features… but he was _awake_.

When the younger man was finally finished explaining about Aloli’s hearing (and how he had begun to research a device that would grant the ability to virtually hear anything without surgery), the vampire closed his eyes, letting out a pained breath. “…Eight months?” He breathed, his voice strained.

“…Eight months,” His loved one assured, his shoulders slumped.

In the light of someone who would essentially live forever, eight months was the blink of an eye. In the past, months had gone by quickly, feeling instead like days and leaving him unfazed.

But as a brand new parent… that was eight months of his newborn (in lenient terms) that he had missed. Her first words (or signs, he supposed), her first steps… all of the little things that must have gone by in the blink of an eye while his own were shut.

Suddenly, a sugary hand was on his cheek and he was forcing open his tired eyes, catching violet orbs as they filled with relieved tears.

“It’s good to see you again…” Bubba whispered, before he all but collapsed onto the older man’s chest and let out a sob.

Feeling a strained smile cross his lips, Marshall reached out, gently rubbing the other man’s back as he wept openly. He continued doing so, even as his loved one’s tears eventually dwindled, that tall form still resting against his chest.

“It’s okay now, Bubba…” The vampire whispered, catching the other’s orbs with his own once again. “It’s okay.”

A slow, uneasy smile crossed the younger’s face for a moment, before he slowly leaned in, pressing his lips gently against the other’s shaking ones. Weakly, the exhausted man kissed back, feeling his eyes slip shut as he tried desperately not to let the pain his heart ruin the moment.

Eventually, The Founder allowed their children back in the room and Theo was all tears, hugging his parent tightly and rambling on about how he’d tried desperately to stay at the man’s side.

Just as the dark-haired man was about to address his daughter for the first time, a woman with white skin (black around her eyes) stepped in, greeting him with a gentle smile.

“I’m Doctor Punda,” She introduced as she approached, adjusting the bed so that it was slightly upright, allowing his weak body to get a good look around the room. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Abadeer.”

“Likewise,” The man idly replied, his breathing heavy as his head spun. He felt weighed down for some reason and it was a sensation that he wasn’t used to. He didn’t like it.

“Because of the extensive amount of glucose in your veins, we were forced to transfuse blood into you,” The black-haired woman went on, not noticing the way his face paled. “It seemed to work as your blood is virtually free of sugar now; however, His Foundership has warned me of the distain you may feel. I apologize for going against your vows of never consuming blood again, however it was impossible for us to feed ‘red’ into your system.”

His tongue felt wet all of the sudden, as if the very thought of blood made him crave it. No… _no_! He’d gone over a _thousand_ years without drinking the liquid, he didn’t want to get addicted to it all over again!

To a vampire, blood was like a drug. It heightened their senses, making them feel more _alive_ (so to speak) and leaving them in a state similar to a high that an addict might feel. Once upon a time – when he’d first turned and for quite some time afterwards – he’d been hooked on the feeling. He’d murdered thousands, if not more, just for a chance to push away the loneliness.

But then he’d met his loved one (who had been nothing but a child at the time) and the boy’s disgustingly sweet blood had been a wakeup call. It made him sick and as the kid had stared at him in horror as he threw up all over the ground, he’d realized his mistake.

Innocent people… he’d been killing innocent people all for his own gain. He… he’d been a _monster_.

From that day, he’d sworn off the liquid, but it had been a hard addiction to fight. Eventually it came to a point where he’d confessed his crime to Bubba’s mother, just so she would lock him away.

But the Candy Queen had been a kind woman, agreeing only to hold him until his cravings subsided. She brought his food to him every day, knowing fully that he wouldn’t drink _her_ blood (too sweet, it was far too sweet!) and eventually he’d managed to curve the addiction, with her help.

(His loved one had hated him for a long time after that, but that was a completely different story.)

To have fed him blood… Doctor Punda had forcefully relapsed him after a millennium and his stomach twisted at the very thought of how hard was going to be to fight it all over again.

Suddenly, a hand was atop of his and he turned to look into the violet eyes of his lover, caring and strong. A weak smile crossed pale lips and the dark-haired man felt a bit more at ease… if anyone could help him curve an addiction, it was the pink-haired man.

The doctor went on to explain that it would take him some time to regain strength – pretty much demanding that he remain hospitalized for at least another week – before she bid him farewell and left him alone with his family once more.

It seemed like only seconds later that Theo was gently placing Aloli in his lap, her teal eyes wide and curious. A shaky breath left Marshall as the little girl reached out to touch his face again, tilting her head to the side.

“…How do I say ‘I love you’?” The vampire wheezed, glancing toward the rest of his family. After being shown the sign, he held up his right hand; thumb, pointer, and little finger extended. “I love you.”

A smile broke across the girl’s face as she pointed toward herself, before crossing her arms over her chest and pointing at her father.

“She said she loves you,” Theo explained as his parent scooped his sister into his weak arms, crushing her against his chest.

A shaky breath leaving him, Marshall buried his face into the girl’s tiny neck, tears welling up in his eyes. Small arms wrapped around his own as his daughter hugged him back, leaning in to kiss the side of his head.

Maybe he had missed some points of her life… but he promised himself at that moment that he wasn’t going to miss anything more.

* * *

Roselyn was alight with the realization that their Destined One had awoken. The news was flooded with parties celebrating his rising, people sobbing openly with relief while clenching his photo in their hands.

It was all crazy, in Marshall’s opinion. All he’d done was sleep, yet these people were acting like he’d singlehandedly solved world hunger or something equally as amazing. He was like royalty to them, his very name enough to delight the masses.

It had been a long few days in the hospital, trying to get used to the taste of red once more. His body was protesting, his stomach twisting painfully and his hunger insatiable. And through it all, Bubba stayed at his side, knowing there was no way his love would attack him. No doctors were allowed to visit, no nurses… not even his children. It was all by choice, however, the fear that he would suddenly attack Theo an all too serious one.

Eventually it came to a point where he took to curling up on his side, his entire form shaking and weak. No amount of red seemed to strengthen him, his body protesting the lack of vital substance intensely.

A hand was running through his hair, but he didn’t notice it. He was busy doing everything in his will-power to resist the urge to beg for a bite, even the _smallest_ one, to end the agony.

His fingers were wrapped around an apple, his fangs sunk into its juicy surface, but he wasn’t eating it. He didn’t feel the need to, really… It wasn’t like it was going to curve the hunger, so he felt it was pointless to even try.

“Do you remember when I first fell in love with you?”

His focus wavering, the vampire lifted his eyes to his loved one, who was smiling down at him wistfully.

When he didn’t offer an answer, the tall man continued, continuing to run his sugary fingers through dark hair. “It was after Ice Queen had kidnapped me for about the thousandth time and you came to save me because Fionna was on a date with Flame Prince. Do you remember that?”

Scoffing a little, the dark-haired man turned his gaze away. “Yeah, I remember that.”

“If I remember clearly, you offered her an ultimatum,” Bubba whispered fondly, closing his eyes to remember. “You’d go on a date with her if she let me go.”

“That was the worst date I’ve ever been on,” Marshall mumbled in bitter amusement, before he slowly frowned. “…You never told me that was when.”

The hand in his hair stopped for a moment, before The Founder sighed. “No one had ever sacrificed themselves like that for me. Yes, Fionna saved me often, but… she didn’t go through _torture_ to do it.”

A small grin crossed the vampire’s face. “It _was_ pretty torturous.”

“I realized then that you’d always been around to take care of me,” The younger man sighed. “Trying to make up for the first time we met. You just wanted me to forgive you and I… always treated you with such distain.”

“I don’t exactly blame you,” His loved one muttered. “I tried to kill you.”

Slowly, the taller leaned in, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “But you didn’t, because you fought it. And I know that you can fight it now, Marshall Lee. You are strong and I _believe_ in you.”

A moment of silence passed between them, before the weakened man let out a sigh. “…Thank you, Bubba.”

“You’re more than welcome,” The Founder replied with a small smile. “I will _always_ be here for you.”

Knowing that his loved one meant every word, the vampire let his eyes slip closed, feeling a bit of tension leave him. It was a miniscule amount, but it _did_ help, and for that he was thankful.

After another quiet moment passed, he lifted one heavy arm and motioned toward the other’s lap, where a book that Theo had brought was resting. “Want to keep reading?”

Immediately, the other man flushed, before he removed his hand from dark locks and picked up the book. “Are you sure? It’s absolutely _ridiculous_!”

“That’s what makes it so much fun,” Marshall replied with a smirk as he pressed the apple into his mouth once more, sipping some of it. The liquid felt cool in his mouth, easing a bit of the burn in his stomach.

Clearing his throat for a moment, Bubba began to read, his cheeks flushed. “’Marshall began to remove his shirt, his chest smooth and pale. Above him, The Founder watched with purple eyes’ – _purple,_ Honestly! –‘ and eventually reached out to help the other tug the cloth from his arms…’ Who writes this sort of thing?”

“Theo skipped over those scenes, right?” The vampire inquired, his eyebrows quirked. He certainly didn’t want his child reading something so racy, let alone about his _parents_. His partner gave a nod of agreement and the man felt himself relax. “I’m glad.”

“Nearly everything he’s been reading you has to do with us, however,” The pink-haired man sighed as he forced the book closed. “And from what I’ve seen, most of them are… ‘romance’ novels.”

“We certainly are quite the popular couple, aren’t we?” The older mumbled, finding himself a bit disturbed at the thought. Not all that long ago – at least to him – he’d been a nobody in a backwater town… now his face was all over the news, adored by millions. As the tall man nodded, he let out a sigh. “And I have a feeling it’s going to be that way for a long time.”

Before the pink man had even spoken, his loved one knew what was coming. “Marshall, I’m very sorry to have put you in this position… I-”

“Oh, shut up,” The vampire cut in, earning a sour look. “I _chose_ to come with you, remember? And yeah, maybe I didn’t expect to become _this_ popular, but it’s certainly not a deal-breaker. I’m in this through thick and thin, so unless you want to dump _me_ , then we’re staying together.”

The younger man smiled weakly, before leaning down to kiss the other on the forehead once more. Then, he popped back open the book and began to read, only to stop and smirk to himself. “I don’t think you’re really that flexible, Marshall.”

“I bet I am,” Came the response along with a smug smile. “Wanna find out?”

Flushing, Bubba snapped the book shut.


	15. Time has brought my heart to me

It took nearly two weeks for the cravings to get to a point where he was comfortable allowing his children to see him. Theo was thrilled, chattering to him non-stop about all of the books he’d read while Aloli rested against his chest, fast asleep.

“She did that every day,” His son informed as he gently stroked the girl’s bubblegum hair. “Just laid on you with her hearing device off. I asked her why once and she told me, ‘happy’.”

“Bubba told me you’ve been taking care of her,” His father stated as he smiled fondly down at the girl. It was still odd to get used to, looking at the child he felt like he had only just had in his stomach, now almost stage three. “How does it feel, being a big brother?”

“I love it!” The boy cried, before he frowned. “Except when she bit me. That really hurt.”

Marshall frowned, looking at the scar on his son’s hand as the boy held it up. “Don’t worry, I’m going to teach her to drink red soon. She’ll resist at first but it’ll be best to teach her when she’s young.”

There was a knock on the closed door suddenly before Doctor Punda entered, a smile on her calm features. “Hello, Mr. Abadeer,” She addressed as he sat up a bit more to give her a nod. “Your paperwork is all filed and you’re ready to go. I came to bid you farewell.”

“Thank you for everything, Doctor,” He replied and she gave him a fond nod, before saying her goodbyes and leaving the family alone. Once she’d departed, the pale-skinned man carefully maneuvered his daughter in his arms as he climbed from the bed, standing on shaky feet.

“Where’s Bubba?” Theo asked as his father decided it was best not to test the waters, lifting his feet from the ground and allowing himself to float for once. “I thought he’d be here.”

“Last I heard he and Fibee were arguing about me speaking to the press,” Marshall hummed, following his son from the room and toward the private elevator that lead to the NICU. “She apparently wants me to come forward and say the reason why I was comatose, simultaneously announcing Aloli’s existence to the world.”

“And that makes him mad,” His son concluded, entering the elevator and pressing the down button as the other followed him.

The older Abadeer nodded, shifting his daughter against himself as she fussed a little. “He doesn’t think she’s ready.”

Slowly, blue eyes gazed up at him as his son kept his lips tight. “And what do you think?”

The vampire seemed a little bit surprised at the question. It had been some time since someone had asked him what _he_ wanted, at least when it came to the press. “…I think it would be better to get her introduced to it when she’s young because she’s going to have to deal with it her entire life. She’s The Founder’s daughter… she’ll always be in the spotlight.”

Theo seemed to accept this answer with a solid nod as the elevator doors opened. “So tell him that.”

Scoffing at the idea that Bubba was going to listen to _him_ (stubborn man that he was), the vampire followed the other toward the elevator that lead up to their residence.

* * *

Marshall had never been so happy to see his home before as he entered the open front room, the extravagant decoration that greeted him a welcoming reminder that he was _finally_ free of his sterile prison.

Ruffus was at the staircase, giving a solid bow as they stepped out of the elevator. He didn’t speak –his deep voice always seemed to rouse Aloli while she slept – but instead offered what might have been the tiniest bit of a smile. In response, the dark-haired man grinned, floating into the room and sucking in a deep breath.

“Marshall Lee!” Came an excited whisper and he turned to find Fibee approaching, (keeping her voice hushed to not wake Aloli,) a grumpy Bubba behind her. “I wanted to discuss some things with _you_ , since all this is just as much your choice as Burton’s.”

With a nod, the vampire handed his daughter over to Ruffus, who awkwardly held on to her with stiff shoulders. “Can you put her down in her room, please?”

“Yes, My Lord,” The butler replied, turning to ascend the stairs behind him.

A sound caught Marshall’s attention, momentarily pulling him away from Fibee as he gazed down and excitement filled his features. Schwabl rushed up to him, meowing along the way, and he bent down to scoop her into his arms with a happy sigh.

“Hey, baby girl,” The man addressed the cat, who purred loudly in response. He then turned back to the blonde, who motioned for him to follow as she headed toward the drawing room.

The three of them took seats in a few plush chairs and the pale man was reminded of what felt like weeks ago, when he’d sat in these same seats and wondered about what to do in regards to his child. Now he was doing it all over again, for different reasons.

“I’m sure you already know what this is about,” Fibee addressed, folding her hands in her lap as the dark-haired man placed his pet in his own. “I’d like to hear your opinions on this, Marshall.”

Bubba smiled, obviously confident that his partner would agree with him… so it was with a bit of a tight stomach that the dark-haired man sighed and stated, “I think we should do it.”

“…Excuse me?” The Founder wheezed, his shoulders tight.

Fibee seemed surprised as well as the vampire went on. “It’s better to introduce her to it while she’s young, in my opinion. She’s going to be dealing with it her whole life; that much is certain. It’s not something we can just keep putting off.”

“She’s going to be completely overwhelmed!” The pink-haired man cut in shortly, his cheeks flushed with frustration. “Do you _want_ to stress her out!?”

Immediately, the pale man was frowning, his body tense. “Of _course_ I don’t,” He hissed, resisting the urge to bare his teeth. He was extremely offended that his partner would even _suggest_ that he wanted to upset their child. “But the longer she goes without seeing them, the harder it’s going to become… and the hungrier they’ll get. Can you imagine how much worse it’ll be if we go years without saying anything? And we’d _never_ been able to take her anywhere. What kind of life is that?”

“I’m not saying wait _years_!” Bubba cried, clenching the arm rests of his seat tightly. “Just a few months! You just woke up, she needs to get used to you… she doesn’t need the press in her face too!”

A strained sigh left the older man and he closed his eyes, trying to remain calm. “I just woke up and now the people want to know _why_ I was sick.”

The taller huffed through clenched teeth, violet eyes narrowed. “So tell them, but don’t introduce her.”

“And you think they’ll accept that?” Marshall scoffed, earning a heavy sigh from the other. “No, they wouldn’t. We’ll have people knocking down our doors… people scaling the tower to try and take photos through our windows. So far, the people of Roselyn had been courteous and kind about my appearance, I _really_ don’t want to give them a reason to become hungry wolves.”

Fibee’s dark eyes glanced back and forth between the two men as they stared angrily at each other. It was obvious that she wanted to be somewhere – _anywhere_ – else at that moment, but she forced herself to clear her throat and speak. “What’s the verdict?”

“Fine, _fine_ ,” The Founder huffed, moving to stand. “Do what you want! But don’t expect me to like it!”

As the other began to storm from the room, the vampire got to his feet, growling, “Don’t storm off, we’re not done talking! You’re acting really childish!”

“Then it’s not surprising that you’re acting like this toward me!” Bubba snapped, turning to glare at the other as he placed his hand on the door. “Since you don’t seem to care about the feelings of your children!”

As the door slammed, Marshall was left standing there, shock evident on his features. He didn’t seem to notice as Fibee bailed from the room, not wanting to deal with the heart break that slowly crawled over the dark-haired man’s face as he fell back into his chair, his eyes falling to his lap.

Had… had the other really just _said_ that? How… how _could_ he? Maybe it was said in a fit of anger, but… implying that the vampire was a bad _father_ …

A wave of tears hit his eyes moments later as Schwabl jumped into his lap, his palms moving to meet his face as the first in a line of sobs left him.

That had _hurt_ … more than anything he could ever remember, physical or otherwise. And the fact that the man he loved had said it…

Eventually the room’s door came open and he lifted his eyes, unsure of what to expect. It certainly hadn’t been what he saw standing in the entranceway, however… and the large form closing the door and approaching caught him completely off guard.

Ruffus said nothing as he took his hand, pulling him up to stand. Before he could question, he was being tugged into an easy hug, his body wrapped in a comforting hold.

At first he stood there awkwardly, not sure how to react. The butler wasn’t exactly the warm type, so any sort of emotion from him seemed out of place… but eventually he gave in, burring his face into the man’s chest and allowing himself to cry as he was held.

* * *

The crowd barely contained themselves as the doors came open and The Destined One slipped out of them, earning excited whispers and stares of awe. Instantly, photos were being snapped as the man approached the center of the stage, behind of a glass pillar with microphones piled to the brim on top.

He greeted them all in a friendly manor, his smile genuine and a presence of confidence around him. All cameras were on his face as he began to speak, his voice strong and steady.

“As you all know, roughly nine months ago I was hospitalized and not long after, fell into a comatose state.” The crowd fell silent, intensely waiting for him to go on. “I heard from Burton-” Excitement filled their hearts as he addressed the man by his name. “-About the support from all of Lapiya and I was…” The man paused, reaching up to place a hand on his chest. “…I was _deeply_ touched. That you all would care about me, despite my background and where I come from…”

As the dark-haired man hung his head and took a shaky breath, the crowd let out gasps of awe. He wasn’t disappointing them, their perfect Destined One… they man they had fallen for.

“But I have to admit to you, people of Lapiya,” He sighed, lifting his head once more. “There’s a secret I’ve kept…” Gasps followed his words as he stiffened his shoulders, holding his head high – a look of guilt on his features. “The reason I was hospitalized was because…”

There was a pause as they hung on his every deep, forced breath… waiting, their mouths watering for _more_.

The vampire lifted his head once more, his teal eyes gazing into the hearts of each and every person there… along with the hearts of everyone in Lapiya. Finally, after the silence began to be too much, he let out a slow breath. “…Because I was with child.”

The gasps that echoed around the room were cut off only by the sound of cameras flashing as the dark-haired man lowered his eyes, his cheeks flushed. He looked precious, then… a soft smile on his lips as if he were reminiscing about his child and the fond memories they’d shared when he awoke.

Questions began to spill from the lips of the crowd in waves, only to be halted as The Destined One held up a hand, lifting his eyes once more.

“Her name is Aloli,” Marshall Lee went on. “She was born premature and weak, the birth nearly killing both of us. I…” He cut off again, closing his eyes to take a deep breath as his hand rested on his stomach. After a bit he opened up his eyes again, continuing. “Because she was so weak, Burton was forced to age her several stages.”

The crowd sat in stunned silence as the man turned toward the doors he had entered through, giving a small nod. As they moved their cameras, the doors came open and The Destined One’s son stepped through, head held high. Gasps immediately left them, however, once they laid eyes upon the small form held in his arms.

With hair made of black gum and skin made of pink sugar, there was no doubt who her other parent was. Her teal eyes were all The Destined One’s, however, as she gazed openly at the crowd, shyly sucking on her fingers.

Theo approached his father, who smiled fondly at his son before taking the little girl in his arms. Instantly, cameras began flashing, making the child blink in surprise.

And if the appearance of a sweet child wasn’t enough, the dark-haired man had to wrench their aching hearts, leaning in to kiss his daughter’s forehead as she looked up at him. Immediately, coos left the people and for a moment they soaked in the scene, before the man spoke again.

“Aloli is nearly stage three,” He explained as she buried her face into his neck, earning more aww’s from the crowd. Then, instantaneously, their hearts all broke as he whispered, “…And she was born without the ability to hear correctly.”

Lapiya felt their insides twist, the entire crowd dropping their mouths open in horror as the man pressed his cheek against his child’s hair. Their Founder and their Destined One had been blessed with a child… but the poor girl was deaf, or at least partially. This poor, innocent child… Slowly, they felt their shoulders fall, a moment of silence filling the air around them as they felt sorrow for the little girl.

“Say hello, Aloli,” The Destined One stated as he caught the girl’s eye, holding up a hand to his forehead and making a motion, almost like he was saluting. “Hello.”

Shyly, the girl turned toward the crowd, her eyes big and curious. Then, Lapiya watched in awe as their perfect child shyly lifted a hand and repeated her father’s motion… introducing herself to the world.

Following that, the dark-haired man took a couple of questions – mostly about Aloli – before he bid the crowd farewell, taking his children and returning behind the double-doors.

After they had closed behind him, Marshall let his façade drop, his shoulders slumping and a sigh leaving his lips. Theo quickly scooped up his sister from their father’s hold and sunk away from the man to give him some breathing room.

It seemed Fibee didn’t understand the concept of taking a moment to relax, however, because she approached the dark-haired man immediately, placing a hand on his back. “You did wonderfully, Marshall. And you _did_ do the right thing.”

Lifting his eyes for a moment to glance across the room, where a man with hair made of gum was staring openly at him, the vampire’s let out a huff. His lips became tight as he quickly turned his face away, not sparing the man in question a moment of his time. “Thanks, Fibee.”

With an awkward pat on his shoulder, the woman gave a heavy sigh, turning her gaze toward his partner. “I wanted to tell you both together…” She mumbled and he resisted the urge to bitterly laugh. Like _that_ was going to happen. “I booked you a vacation in Waluli.”

His eyebrows shot up immediately as he gazed at the assistant in shock. Waluli? Was she _mad_?

Waluli – from what he’d heard – was _the_ vacation spot in Lapiya. Quite the distance from the rest of the cities, it was full to the brim with trees and even had a man-made lake in the center, where its visitors were allowed to swim. The only inhabitants there were locals and usually, when someone bought a vacation there… they were paying for the whole town.

“…Why?” Marshall found himself asking skeptically. He knew as well as the next person that Fibee only did things with reason, save for the weeks before Aloli’s birth when he’d been too sick to get out of bed and she’d let him off the hook.

Looking a little offended, the blonde-haired woman placed a hand on her hip. “ _Because_ , mister skeptic… You are still very much recovering from being hospitalized. You need to… don’t look at me with that disbelieving stare!” With a huff as he quirked an eyebrow, she crossed her arms. “Alright, alright… Because you two are arguing, okay? You don’t need people constantly down your throats on top of you not getting along, or it’s going to tear you apart even more. You need to take some time to get over being mad.”

The vampire had to say, he was a bit surprised. He gazed at the assistant in awe, before sparing a glance toward his estranged partner, who was still opening staring at him. After a moment, teal eyes turned back toward Fibee. “Is it that obvious that we’re not getting along…?”

She fixed him with a stare. “Marshall, I was in the room when you were arguing.”

The realization hit him and he hummed, “Oh, yeah.”

With a stressed breath, the blonde cocked a hip, placing a hand against it as her thin wings fluttered a bit. “You two need to work this out away from prying eyes. Your children don’t need you arguing and you most _certainly_ don’t need the press finding out, or they’ll make it worse.”

Slowly, the dark-haired man let out a breath, before he nodded. “Alright. Thanks, Fibee.”

“You’re welcome,” Came the response, before the woman crossed the room toward The Founder, who finally pulled his gaze away to greet her.

His heart feeling heavy, Marshall went to find his children so they could depart and head home.

He didn’t want to think about a vacation or how the idea of being alone with Bubba made him angry all over again.


	16. I have loved you for a thousand years

The Founder must have agreed at some point, because within the next few days they were boarding the man’s private train in his private station, bags packed and safely with Ruffus.

Theo was openly excited, bouncing around the compartment with his sister, who quickly crawled onto one of the plush seats as soon as the machine started moving. Neither of the children seemed to realize their parents weren’t speaking, sitting at opposite ends of the cabin, their faces turned away from one another.

“Dad, look!” The older child cried as they moved past a large city. Immediately, his father turned to look out the windows. “That’s Punah, the trade city. Through that tunnel over there, workers can get to the sea. It’s where all our fish comes from!” The little boy pressed his face to the glass, as if he could peer into the dark depths as they passed by it quickly. “The Ocean-Ways were _very_ carefully crafted because if they made them too close to the bottom, the water pressure would crack them, and too close to the top meant the gasses in the air would contaminate the fish!”

“That’s pretty impressive,” His father agreed as the last of the city disappeared from view. “How far down did they end up going?”

Seeming delighted that his parent was interested, the dark-haired boy went on, rambling about the proper distance and how difficult it had been to find it.

Listening in as his son went on and on, Marshall was vaguely aware of a pair of violet eyes staring openly at him, but he forced himself not to return the gaze.

Inwardly, he wanted to scream at the other about how the whole fight was all his fault, about how he should be apologizing and begging on his knees for the vampire to forgive him… but a few moments of rational thought cleared his head quickly and he knew that he was to blame as well. He hadn’t exactly tried to see the other’s point of view and he _had_ called the man childish, which didn’t exactly make him an innocent.

Still, he wasn’t sure he could apologize to the man, at least not first. He was still _very_ hurt by his loved one’s words and every time he looked at his children is stung a little, thinking that the man he cared for thought he was a terrible father.

He knew it wasn’t true and he knew that The Founder didn’t believe it, either… but the words still echoed in his ears and straight to his heart, every time he spared a glance at the younger man.

Waluli was some ways away and eventually the children fell asleep in the plush chairs, Aloli resting against her brother’s chest. As they slept, their parents remained on either side of them, eyes elsewhere and shoulders tense.

Neither parent gave in to sleep, the tension in the air so thick it was suffocating. Even as the train rolled on they remained still, not even a finger twitching.

It was hours before the machine finally pulled to a stop (one meal and two cranky kids later) inside of a station, with no view of Waluli to greet them. Ruffus was on the platform as they sauntered out of the cabin, removing bags from the back of the train and handing them to workers dressed in green uniforms.

“Welcome to Waluli!” A group of people cried as they exited the compartment, smiles on their faces. Their grins were infectious and as they approached, the vampire found his own lips turning up while a woman with blue and green hair walked up to them.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you!” She called. “I’m Bufly! I’m the mayor of this tiny little town and we are so very happy to have you here, Your Foundership, Lord Abadeer! And of course, your beautiful children!”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Marshall told her and she smiled warmly at him in return.

“Come, come!” The woman cried as she turned, revealing a large pair of blue and green wings folded neatly against her back. “We have much to see!”

The rest of the people that had been standing with her greeted them with friendly faces and the family idly followed her from the station, only to pause in the doorway and look in awe at the sight that greeted them.

The metallic dome of Waluli was painted a pale blue, reminding the two men of the color the sky had once been. Because of the eco-system, the top was dotted with clouds, leaving the air fresh and cool. The station appeared to be atop a large hill because they were looking down at the city, taking in its splendors from a vantage point.

Closest to them was the small town, the roads and buildings made from pale stone. It seemed its inhabitants had known of their arrival because they were all standing outside their doors – shops and houses alike – waving with warm, welcoming smiles.

From there the path opened up into small forest of trees, circling around a small lake that instantly made Bubba pale a bit. On the other side of the water they could see the cabin they would be staying in, with a large dock that circled around part of the lake and lead into a gazebo some distance away.

“Wow… how cool!” Theo cried as he scooped Aloli up and pointed out the scene to her, grinning widely. “Look, Alo!” He lifted up his free hand and made a grabbing motion in front of his face. “Beautiful. Don’t you think?”

She didn’t respond, turning to look for a only moment before holding her arms out for The Founder. Without hesitating, Bubba scooped her into his arms and kissed her forehead.

Bufly lead them down the long stairs from the station to the road, where they climbed into an extravagant roller packed with their things and began their journey. As they went through town, she pointed out the different shops and people waved at them, smiles on their kind faces. From there, they headed toward the forest, Theo chatting the entire way, pointing out different things and rambling on about them. His parents listened with half an ear as they took in the sights in awe, both of them impressed and somewhat reminded of the old world and its warm, sunny days.

When the lake came into view, Bubba’s shoulders went stiff and a moment later he felt a hand touch his own. Surprised, he glanced down to find Marshall’s palm resting on top of his fingers, offering a sort of awkward comfort as the other man gazed the other direction. Before he could fathom a response, however, Theo pointed out something else and both parents turned to look.

Soon enough they were nearing the cabin and the little boy pressed himself against the glass in awe, gaping openly at the structure. “Did you know that the log cabin in Waluli is famous for being the _only_ wooden residence in all of Lapiya?” He asked no one in particular, before continuing, “And the gazebo is the only wooden one of its kind, too! When the city was established as a holiday resort they were allowed to build them both out of wood because of the growth rate of trees in this area. Because Waluli was built below a lake-”

He continued on until the roller came to a stop, instantly cutting him off as he threw open the door and stumbled out (barely pausing to unbuckle his seat-belt). As the rest of his family followed, the little boy laughed with excitement, rushing up to the cabin and touching the wooden paneling with his eyes alight.

“Ruffus, look!” Theo cried, before he rushed over to something else, the butler immediately following him.

“Quite the excitable one you’ve got there,” Bufly chuckled, earning a smile from Marshall. “I’ve got one about that stage too. You might see her around town if you stop by sometime. They could even play together.”

“I think he’d like that,” The vampire replied, only to chuckle as his son held up a flower for the dark-skinned man beside him to smell. “He doesn’t really talk to many kids his stage.”

“Anytime you want to swing by, she’s usually hanging out at the library,” The woman informed, before bidding the family farewell and leaving – walking back around the lake to go home.

After Theo finished getting Ruffus’ attention long enough for the man to get their bags inside (with both Bubba and Marshall’s help, much to his dismay), the kids all but crashed on their beds, not even bothering to take their coats and shoes off.

Thankfully, their shared father scooped in to do so, careful not to rouse them as he removed the clothing and covered them with blankets. From there he took extra precaution, floating from the room and closing the door as quietly as he could.

Ruffus made himself scarce after that, leaving Marshall and Bubba to awkwardly stand in the living-room in silence. After a few unbearable moments passed, the vampire mumbled something and released a sleeping Schwabl from her cage, before he headed out the back door, intent on hanging out by the lake simply because he was sure the other wouldn’t dare follow him.

Eventually he settled for a nice spot close to the water, leaning back to float in mid-air under the artificial sunlight. After some time, the dark-haired man let his eyes slip shut and before he knew it, he was drifting off to sleep.

* * *

He hadn’t really seen the point of a ‘vacation’.

Fibee had insisted he and Marshall take the time to make up, but Bubba didn’t see why they had to travel to a _lake_ to do so. They could have just as easily sat down like adults back in the comfort of Roselyn to talk about things…

…So why hadn’t they? It had been almost a week since they’d fought and neither of them had come forward to say anything toward the other. And while the younger man wanted nothing more than to be mad at his loved one for his silence… in truth, he knew that he needed to be the one to apologize first.

Being mad at the vampire was one thing… but The Founder had taken it too far and he knew it. He’d insulted the man, practically calling him a bad father when nothing but the opposite was true. Marshall Lee was a _great_ father and he didn’t blame the man at all for being angry with him… But the older man didn’t seem _angry_ … he seemed _hurt_ , which was only that much worse. It was one thing to piss off the person he loved, but to _wound_ him… the pink-haired man couldn’t help but feel like a terrible being and he knew he would have to apologize at some point.

By the time he actually worked up the nerve to go down to the lake and confront his partner, however, the children were waking from their naps. Aloli was fussy and hungry, while Theo mumbled a greeting before heading down to the lake, as if knowing his father was there.

With still a few hours left until the artificial sun dimmed for the night, Bubba knew he _had_ to spend some time outside with the rest of his family. And so, with a heavy heart, he grabbed a snack for his daughter and a blanket for them to sit on, before heading out the back door, Schwabl on his heels.

The feline meowed happily as she approached a floating Marshall, who was speaking quietly with his son. Upon seeing her, the vampire laughed with excitement, throwing open his arms and allowing the cat to jump into them, landing on his chest.

“You sure you want to be on me, Schwabs?” The man asked his pet, who lifted her head in response. “There’s a whole _city_ that you haven’t explored here, isn’t there?” Instantly, her head began to turn and she let out a surprised meow. “Yeah, _exactly_! Just be back before it gets dim, okay?” One more mewl, before she was leaping off his chest and taking off into the forest.

“Are you sure it’s safe to let her out like that?” The Founder asked as he sat Aloli down on the blanket and handed her a few fruit-snacks, which she immediately began to chew on.

It was obvious that the older man was resisting a glare, not wanting to fight in front of their children. “She can handle herself.”

For a few moments they sat in silence, before Bubba finally let out a breath. “I think we should talk.”

Theo instantly looked alert as his father gave a quick nod and turned, heading toward the water. With a sour expression, the pink-haired man followed, only to groan painfully as his loved one began walking down the dock.

“…Are my parents fighting?” The little boy asked as he turned to look at Ruffus, who had come from seemingly nowhere.

The dark-skinned man looked as if he didn’t want to answer for a few moments, before he gave a slow nod. “Yes, Young Lord.”

Trying to resist the tears that were filling his eyes, the pale child looked down. “…Is it because of me?”

He missed the sympathetic face that crossed the older man’s features for a split second before the butler assured, “No, Young Lord.”

“Then it’s the press, huh?” Came the next question as the boy sighed, his shoulders slumping.

Slowly, Ruffus reached to place a gentle hand on Theo’s shoulder, pulling the boy’s gaze toward him. “People argue at times, Young Lord. It doesn’t mean they don’t love each other. They simply… disagreed about something and took some time to cool off.”

With a numb nod, the dark-haired boy turned to gaze down the docks as his parents walked along them, his shoulders slumped.

* * *

“I don’t see why we had to come to the water…” Bubba was mumbling to himself as he nervously eyed the lake alongside his companion, his shoulders shaking in fear. “If I fell in there…”

“I’d jump in and get you out before your sugar even realized it was wet,” The dark-haired man beside him stated, stiffly, his back straight. “Maybe I’m a bad father, but I’m not a bad boyfriend.”

Instantly a frown was on the pink-haired man’s lips and he reached out, stopping the other in his tracks. “Marshall…”

The vampire let out a heavy breath, his eyes elsewhere. For a moment he stood in silence, before he lifted his feet from the ground and maneuvered around the other, making his way the few feet to the large gazebo that sat a short distance into the lake.

Realizing that he was much safer inside of those wooden walls (so to speak), the younger man followed after him, walking up the stairs and instantly feeling a bit more relaxed. At least here the only way to fall in the water was to be thrown. “I…”

Marshall’s back was to him as he stood near one of the railings, gazing out at the lake silently. His back was tense, his eyes squeezed shut and his feet hovering off the ground.

Slowly, The Founder forced himself to work up the nerve to speak. It was painfully difficult, but eventually words managed to spill from his mouth. The ones that did, however… were not the ones he was expecting.

“Will you marry me?”

Instantly, teal eyes were on him, gazing at him in shock and confusion. “…What?”

Bubba lifted a hand to his forehead, letting out a stressed breath. Well _that_ hadn’t gone right. He’d wanted to ask that _eventually_ , but certainly not now! They were in the middle of _water_ , they were _fighting_ , and he didn’t even have a _ring_!

“Well?” The older prompted, obviously waiting for some sort of explanation as he crossed his arms over his chest.

There was no way that he could admit that he hadn’t meant to say that, now, without offending the other man. So instead, The Founder swallowed down his pride and explained, “I **don’t** think you’re a bad father, Marshall… You’re a **great** father, in fact. You raised Theo, who is _the_ best kid I have ever met - and I’ve met a _lot_ of kids. I’m proud of him and I’m proud of _you_ , because _you_ are the one who made him into such a great boy.”

The quirked eyebrow the other was giving him was stressing him out. Obviously, the pale man was still waiting for both an explanation and an apology... no other pretty words were going to deter him.

The taller man turned his gaze away, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. “I… I’m _sorry_.” It was painful to say, his chest tight. “I’m sorry for saying that to you, I… I was-” He stopped suddenly, shaking his head. “No, there’s _no_ excuse. I was wrong and I’m sorry.”

For a few moments the other was silent, before he let out a slow breath. “Apology accepted. I’m sorry too, for calling you childish.”

Resisting the urge to point out that the older’s apology wasn’t very poetic, Bubba lifted his eyes, only to stiffen again. The vampire was still gazing at him expectantly, his arms crossed and one hip cocked to the side.

Alright, so he was definitely going to have to face this. There was no way the older man was going to let it go… with yet another heavy, stressed sigh, Bubba took a step forward. “I want us to be a family… I want to be able to say that the great boy that you raised is _my_ son, too. And I want… I want to be able to say that you’re my _husband_.”

“Bubba,” Marshall cut in, catching violet eyes with his own. “You can just admit it. You totally didn’t mean to say that, but for some reason it came out.” As the pink-haired man gaped at him, he smirked a bit. “I thought so.”

The Founder’s shoulders deflated as he sighed. “I wanted to propose _someday_ , in some extravagant way, with a ring and… and I don’t even know…”

Placing his feet on the ground, the older man walked forward to reach out and touch his loved one’s face. As they locked eyes, he gave a small smile. “I think it’s perfect just the way it is.” Surprising the other man, he leaned in and pressed their lips together for a moment before breathing, “That’s a yes, by the way.”

A smile breaking across his face for the first time in days, the taller man quickly scooped his partner into his arms and kissed him intensely, making the other jump in surprise.

“Aloli!”

Instantly, both parents were at the entrance to the gazebo, gazing across the lake to the start of the docks where their daughter was running away from her brother, trying desperately to catch up to her.

Without blinking an eye Marshall lifted his feet from the ground and cut across the water, his breath catching in his throat as he saw the little girl stumble.

She couldn’t hit the water… she was made of _sugar_! And Theo certainly couldn’t rescue her, he’d never swam before, he would only make things worse!

He had to get to her… he _had_ to!

Bubba watched from the gazebo in horror, a gasp leaving him as soon as the girl’s shoe caught on a loose board and she fell sideways. Marshall was nearly there… he had to make it on time! He had to-

The vampire stopped suddenly, his arms held open to catch the dark-haired girl, a stunned look painted across his pale features. Aloli giggled up at him and reached out, grabbing hold of his arms from her place just a foot off the dock… above the water. _Floating_.

Reacting before she could suddenly drop, the girl’s father wrapped her in his arms and moved back onto the walkway, his chest tight.

“Is she okay?!” Theo cried as he approached, his other parent heading their direction as well. As the man before him nodded numbly, the boy held up his hands, tears beginning to fill his eyes. “I’m so sorry! She was so fast, I… I tried to catch her-!”

“It’s alright, Theo,” The dark-haired man assured, reaching out to place a gentle hand on his son’s head. “No one’s mad at you.”

Bubba was beside them a moment later, scooping up Aloli from his stunned partner and hugging her close. “Oh, sweetheart! You’re okay…” With a relieved breath, he pressed his cheek against her bouncy hair. “Thank Glob you can float like your daddy…”

“Who’s Glob?” His step-son asked the pink-haired man, who offered no response as he practically ran for the shore. With a frown, the boy turned to look at his other parent, who gave him a weak smile in response.

“He was a deity back in the old world,” Marshall explained, placing a gentle hand on the boy’s head once more. “People never really talked about him much after The Move. I’ll tell you more later, okay?”

With a numb nod, Theo followed the man back to the shore, his heart heavy.

If things had gone wrong… his sister could have _died_ (or been hurt at the very least)… and it would have been all his fault.


	17. And I’ll love you for a thousand more

Sometime after the lights had dimmed, The Founder and his loved one found themselves staring down the large bed that was meant for them to share. For some reason, the concept left them both nervous, eyes daring from one another back to the plush mattress.

“I could sleep on the sofa,” The vampire offered, earning a frustrated look. “What? Let’s face it, Bubba… neither of us have shared a bed before… don’t look at me like that, you _know_ what I mean.”

“I thought you lived with a girl for a while?” The younger man asked, earning a surprised look. “Back in Ooo. Fionna told me about her stealing your memory or something like that.”

Instantly, Marshall’s expression twisted into a sour one. “Ashley. Yeah… we lived together, but we didn’t share a room.” Bubba looked confused and the dark-haired man quickly held up his hands. “I am _never_ sharing a room with a girl. They’re messy and their stuff all smells like baby powder and perfume. It’s disgusting.”

“…You’re adorable,” His partner offered, earning a frown. “You also couldn’t be more right.”

Blowing a puff of air through pouting lips, the older turned toward the bed once more. “So…”

With a dramatic sigh, the pink-haired man began to tug off his pull-over. “How hard can it be? I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

Resisting the urge to just go and sleep on the sofa anyways, the vampire followed his partner’s lead, changing into his night clothes (with his back turned to the other man, almost shyly) before climbing beneath the blankets.

“There,” The Founder sighed once they were both situated on either side of the mattress. “Is this so bad?”

“You don’t want to cuddle or anything, do you?” His loved one asked, earning a frown in response. “Good, because I’m not much of a cuddl- Schwabs!”

“Oh, _honestly_!” Bubba cried as a white ball of fluff leapt over him to get to his partner, an all-white behind shoved roughly in his face. “A cat on the bed, Marshall, _really_?”

“Okay, so when I said I hadn’t shared a bed before, I didn’t mean her,” The older laughed as he scooped the pet into his arms and rolled onto his side, his back to the other man. “Goodnight, Bubba.”

Letting out a frustrated huff, the taller man rolled over as well, thankfully falling into a quick, comfortable sleep.

Beside him, however, his loved one wasn’t so lucky.

* * *

“Dad, you look like you didn’t sleep at all,” Theo breathed as he gazed upon the pale man, who held a cup of steaming liquid in his hands.

“Your father snores…” Marshall replied, flopping back into a seat rather gracefully as Aloli chewed on breakfast. “… _Badly_.”

“I could have told you that, My Lord,” Ruffus huffed from his spot at the stove with what might have been the start of a smirk.

Shooting the man a glare, the vampire let out a murmur of, “…So why didn’t you?”

“What’s on the agenda for today?” Bubba called as he swept in, primed and pressed with a content air about him. “I certainly hope no more time by the lake.”

“I thought we’d take a walk over to town,” His partner stated as he sipped his steaming liquid, before reaching over to wipe his daughter’s face as her juice dribbled down it a little. “I know a certain somebody who’s probably a bit excited to see the library-”

“Oh can we!? Please, _please_!?” Theo gasped, nearly choking on his food. “They’ve got three of the old, _old_ world books here and I _really_ want to see them! _Please_!”

With a small smile, his step-father nodded. “That sounds wonderful to me. I wanted to take Aloli to the park sometime, too.”

“YAY!” The little boy cried, before he all but shoved his food into his mouth and ran from the room to get ready.

“I’ve never seen someone get so excited over books,” Bubba chuckled as he took a glass of the steaming liquid and sat down. “Well, except for you, Ruffus.”

Seeming a little surprised, his partner turned toward the man in question. “You’re a reader, too?”

“The Young Lord and I have spent many hours discussing them,” The butler replied as he finished the meal and flipped the stove off, before preparing a plate and bringing it to The Founder. He then pulled an apple from the refrigerator and handed it to the vampire.

With a deep frown, Marshall stared down at it. He supposed he wouldn’t have known that, having been asleep for so long… but still, it made his heart ache a little to think there was something about his son he was unaware of.

Aloli watched him in awe as he bit down into the apple and quickly drained the color. After a moment the girl picked up a strawberry from her plate and sunk her teeth into it. Her parents then watched as the color slowly drained, before she bit down on the fruit and ate it like nothing had happened.

 _Good_ , the little girl signed with a smile, before she pushed her plate away and climbed from her chair, heading after her brother.

“I guess I… don’t have to teach her,” her dark-haired parent whispered, his features dumbstruck.

“…I guess not,” His partner replied, just as awed.

With a small, unreadable noise, Ruffus picked up the discarded plate and went about cleaning up.

* * *

The walk through the forest had been dirty and long, but Theo was far too excited about the Waluli Library to worry about his shoes getting filthy.

The building in question was larger than the one in Rhodevon had been, though it was by far smaller than Roselyn’s. He didn’t let the size throw him, however, knowing the wonders that the place in question held within its depths.

“Are you sure you’ll be alright?” His dad asked as he leaned in to fix the boy’s blazer for a moment, only to sigh at the frustrated look he received in response. “I know, I know… I’m just worrying. I _am_ your dad, you know.”

“I’ll be _fine_ ,” The little boy assured. “The park is right across the street, dad.”

“I could come with you, though,” Marshall replied as he glanced across the empty road to see his partner helping their daughter onto a swing.

“And watch me read?” His son scoffed. “Go spend some time with Alo. I’ll be a while.”

With a fond smile, the vampire leaned in and gave his son a gentle kiss on the forehead, before bidding him farewell and crossing the stone road.

Watching his parents for a few moments, the little boy then turned and headed into the double doors, only to smile warming at the librarian as he stepped inside.

“Hello, Young Lord Abadeer,” She addressed with a friendly smile. “Go ahead and enjoy!”

“Thank you,” Theo told her as he passed by the entranceway and took a look around.

Two stories tall, with beige carpeting and dark copper shelves, the place was nowhere near as impressive as Roselyn’s, but it was still more welcoming then Rhodevon’s.

After looking around, he found the location of the old, _old_ world books and gazed at them in wonder for a few moments, before carefully picking one up. It was a non-fiction, something about a wizard and it left a nervous feeling in his stomach just touching it.

Being as careful as he could, Theo held the book with both hands and made his way toward a table to read. His eyes were on the object in his grip, however, and not in front of him… so it was no surprise when he slammed into a tall form.

“Woah!” The person before him cried as they both stumbled back. “Sorry!”

Lifting his eyes, the dark-haired kid gazed in surprise upon a boy his age, with green and blue hair and a pair of large wings on his back. He looked like the tour guide, but instead of her dark skin, his had a peach-like tone with rosy cheeks from an embarrassed blush.

“I wasn’t watching where I was going,” The boy breathed, bending down to pick up the stack of books he had dropped.

“It’s okay,” The pale boy assured as he eyed the other for a moment, before letting out a slow breath. “Here, let me help you with those…”

“Thanks,” Came the response as the kid sighed, having difficulty with all of the objects. Together, they managed to gather them all and carried them to the table, where they sat them down.

“…This is a lot of books,” Theo whistled at the stack. “Are you going to read all these today…?”

For a few moments the boy was silent, before he gave a defeated groan. “No.” As the dark-haired boy lifted his eyebrows, the kid threw up his hands. “I don’t even like to read! It’s just…” He lowered his eyes, reaching up to rub at his upper arm. “When my mom found out The Founder was coming, she made me come in here so I could pretend I like reading. She wanted me to meet you so we could _fall in love_ and _get married_.”

“W… _what_?” The shorter boy gasped, throwing his hand over his mouth. He was stage twelve, he didn’t want to think about _marriage_! “That’s… that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard!”

Seeming surprised for a moment, the other then gave a small laugh. “I know, right?” Quickly, he held out one peach hand, a grin on his face. “I’m By.”

“Theo,” Came the response as the dark-haired boy smiled, taking the other’s hand. “So what _do_ you like to do?”

An embarrassed flush crossed By’s face as he turned his gaze away, mumbling something.

Smiling sympathetically at the other’s awkwardness, Theo leaned in. “What was that?”

“I like photography,” the blue-green haired boy sighed, throwing his hands up. “But _no_ , it’s not a good job for a boy my age! I shouldn’t waste my life on a pipe dream! I need to find a good guy and get married someday! Seesh, parents can be ridiculous…”

“I’m sorry your mom doesn’t support your dreams,” The dark-haired boy breathed, placing a gentle hand on the other’s shoulder. “Maybe someday she’ll see it?”

Scoffing a bit, the taller boy crossed his arms and looked away. “Yeah, maybe when the surface clears up…”

With a small frown, Theo invited the other to sit down with him, starting up a conversation. (They were going to be there for a week, he had plenty of time to read the books later.)

He learned that By’s dad had the same peach skin tone, but everything else came from his mother. The boy loved getting muddy and playing in the forest (the very idea made Theo want to take a shower), as well as swimming in the lake. He was a vegetarian – not because he hated the idea of cruelty to animals, but simply because he couldn’t _stand_ the taste of fish – and favorite color was, admittedly, wine red.

“My mom talks about your dad _all_ the time,” The taller boy laughed as the librarian eyed them, not about to tell The Destined One’s son to be quiet. “She even writes her own fanfics about him and The Founder. So you can imagine how excited she was when she found out you guys were coming.”

“Ugh, that’s so _weird_!” His new-found friend cried, shaking his head. “It used to be that no one really paid attention my dad and suddenly people are like, _worshiping_ him. It’s super messed up!”

“I bet,” By grinned, before his face suddenly went pale and he turned, trying to bail.

“Hey, Theo,” Came a voice from behind the dark-haired boy, who turned in surprise as the man in question approached, a smile on his face. “I came to check on you.”

Blushing a bit (and hoping Marshall hadn’t caught them talking about him), the little boy ran a hand through his hair. “Hey, dad…”

As he came up to the table, the vampire offered a small smile. “You must be Bufly’s daughter.”

Instantly, By went white as Theo gaped openly at him, sputtering, “D… _daughter_!? You said you were a _boy_!”

“I’m sorry, okay!” The other cried, holding up his – or rather, _her_ – hands. “I’m sorry. I just…” Slowly, her dark eyes fell to the table and she nervously fluttered her wings, dropping her face into her hands. “My real name is Flutterby…”

With a frown, Marshall pulled up a chair beside his son. “Well it’s nice to meet you Flutterby… You don’t have to tell us if you’re not comfortable, but… why did you tell Theo you were a boy?”

“Because being a girl is stupid!” The other cried in distain, before she gave a heavy sigh. “Everyone expects you to wear tight dresses, love make-up… My mom wants me to marry your son-” She either missed the vampire’s shocked face, or didn’t address it. “-And have kids and do all that stupid stuff. I don’t want _any_ of that. I _hate_ dresses and make up. That stuff is _dumb_.”

Letting out a slow breath, the dark-haired man placed a gentle hand on his son’s shoulder. He hadn’t exactly met a lot of people who were in this position, but it was obvious that Flutterby was vulnerable about it. Her mother clearly didn’t support her, so he wanted to make sure that his son was understanding. “Do you… want to be a boy, Flutterby?”

Looking alarmed for a moment, the girl then twisted up her face in dismay. “ _No_!” At his surprised gaze, she huffed, shrugging her shoulders. “Boys are… are _idiots_. Even if I could, I wouldn’t want to be one, I just…” Slowly, she frowned. “…I don’t want to be a girl either.”

Staring at the person before him in confusion, the vampire was unsure of what to say. After a moment of stunned silence, however, he tried doing what was right, asking the girl, “What would you prefer me to call you?”

“Call me By,” The child stated with a nod. “And I’d prefer if you said I was a boy to other people. It’s just easier that way.”

With a small nod, Marshall bid the two farewell, leaving them to their conversation (after making his son promise to be back to the cabin by the dimming).

“Where’s Theo?” Bubba inquired as he stepped out the library doors, Aloli resting on the pink-haired man’s shoulders as she waved to him.

“He made a new friend,” The vampire informed with a small smile. “A boy named By.”

* * *

Despite what she’d told his father, By had insisted that she _wasn’t_ transgender (she’d been confused by the word at first, but after he’d explained it, she’d understood the meaning). She told Theo he was allowed to call her a girl in private, just so long as he kept her secret.

They’d spent the day walking around town while she snapped photos of him with a really nice camera, which her father had apparently bought for her. Then she’d walked him home and promised to come visit the next day.

Aloli was asleep when he entered and his dad was quietly strumming his guitar with Schwabl resting beside him, his eyes closed and a smile on his lips. The Founder, however, seemed a bit… _shy_ and for some reason, he asked the dark-haired boy if they could talk.

“Did you have fun with your new friend?” Bubba asked as they took a seat on a bench out by the lake, which he eyed nervously.

“Yeah,” Theo replied with a frown, his eyes downcast. “Did I do something wrong…?”

Instantly, the pink-haired man gasped, before reaching out to place a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Oh Theo, _no_! You didn’t do anything wrong at all! There’s just…” He paused, his mouth seeming dry. “…There’s something I want to tell you.”

With a nervous glance up at the man he considered a father, the dark-haired boy asked, “…What is it?”

Instantly, The Founder seemed flustered as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Theo, I…” He seemed almost like he was afraid the child wouldn’t accept what he was about to say. “I asked your dad to marry me.” Lokibean

Blue eyes lit with wonder and Theo got to his feet, his hands clasped together. “Really!? Did he say yes!? _Please_ tell me he said yes! Oh gosh, he did, didn’t he!?”

Laughing a bit of his tension away, Bubba stood as well, placing a hand on the child’s shoulder once more. “He _did_. It wasn’t extravagant or grand like I’d hoped, but… he agreed.”

“ _YAY_!” Came the excited yelp as the dark-haired boy threw himself into the man’s arms, laughter echoing in the air. “I’m so glad!”

“As soon as we get back, we’re going to tell Fibee so she can start making plans,” The pink-haired man informed as he leaned in to bop his sugary nose against the boy’s pale one. “And I’m going to make sure you’re a part of the wedding, alright?”

“Really?” Came the wistful response, before a smile broke out on his step-son’s face. “Wow… I would really like that… papa.”

A grin crossed The Founder’s face and he set the boy down, only to turn as the child spotted his other parent and rushed over to him, leaping into his arms. Instantly, Marshall caught his son as the boy began to ramble on about wedding ideas and all the happiness he was feeling, burring his face into the man’s chest.

As the two dark-haired forms chatted excitedly, Bubba found himself smiling. Less than a year ago, he’d been locked away in his residence with only science to pass his days… he’d condemned himself to never be happy after a thousand years of failed efforts trying to be so.

Then, one simple chance encounter had changed everything and now, as he watched the two people who had brought his life new meaning… he felt whole again.

* * *

Theo had assured his new friend that she could come and visit whenever she wanted (much to the delight of her mother). They’d departed with a bit of sorrow, admitting they would miss one another but promising to call and write whenever possible.

(Marshall inwardly hoped the friendship would last, because By was a kind girl and his son needed a friend above all else.)

They’d returned to the Capital and to Fibee’s delight, informed the blonde-haired woman about the proposal. She immediately began rattling off ideas, promising to include the children in an affair so extravagant that Lapiya would be talking about it for _years_.

After finding out that the vampire wasn’t too picky about what went on, the woman began planning, bickering often with The Founder about various little things. Eventually, however, he gave in and just let the woman have her way, trusting her and knowing it would go much smoother if they didn’t argue about it.

A few weeks after returning, they announced their engagement. The press was immediately alight with the news, throwing parties and celebrations in their honor. Lady Faux offered to make the cake – much to Fibee’s delight – and sponsors showered the research center with funding after she promised to put a portion of it toward the wedding.

It was months of planning before the big day and as it grew close, the couple found themselves a bundle of nerves. It came to a point where the night before, both men were pacing in their rooms, nearly tearing their hair from their heads.

The next morning, however, things miraculously became easier and by the time the ceremony started, they had both calmed, the realization that they’d been waiting a thousand years for this moment settling aching stomachs.

The crowd was on its feet as Bubba approached the steps first, Aloli in his arms. She was dressed in an extravagant gown of white and pink, blending with his own white tuxedo and pink waistcoat. When he reached the end of the crowd and stepped up the stairs to greet Ruffus, he handed the girl off to Riffa, who gave him a simple nod in return.

The crowd then turned their eyes to gaze in awe as Marshall approached, Theo beside him. They were dressed in matching white outfits, red waistcoats primed and pressed. Together, they walked down the aisle between the parted crowd, the boy holding on to his father’s arm with a smile.

Alight with excitement, the people fell silent as Ruffus began the ceremony, reading from a book for a few moments before he lifted his head. “His Foundership and The Destined One now have something they wish to say to one another.”

Letting out a heavy breath, Bubba reached out to take his loved one’s hands, a smile crawling over his face.

“Marshall Lee,” He addressed, earning him a smile in response. “Never had I dreamed that I would see you again. But destiny saw fit to bring us together again and I am thankful for every day that I spend with you and our family. I love you and I look forward to eternity with my hand in yours.”

As the crowd aww’d for a moment, the vampire held his head high, a wistful look on his features. Tears were beginning to well up in his eyes, but he ignored them. “Burton,” He replied, grinning a little as the other had to resist making a face. “After The Move, I thought I had lost you. The very idea drove me to numbness and from that moment on, I felt lost without you… But fate gave me the chance to see you again. Every day, for a thousand years, I loved you… and I will continue to love you until the end of time.”

“The rings, please,” Ruffus addressed the children and Theo quickly reached into his pocket, removing the object in question and handing it to his father.

Riffa handed over a similar one to Aloli, who turned and held it out to her father, earning a collective coo from the people.

“Your Foundership, please repeat after me,” The butler informed as Bubba took his loved one’s hand and held the ring out. “With this ring,”

“With this ring,” The man repeated, a smile on his face, before he continued as the other prompted him. “I bind myself to your side. For eternity and ever more, I will hold your hand in mine.”

“With this ring,” Marshall breathed wistfully, following Ruffus’ words. “I bind myself to your side. For eternity and ever more, I will hold your hand in mine.”

“By the eyes of Lapiya as witness,” The pale-haired man concluded, closing the book. “You are together as one.”

As The Founder leaned into kiss his new husband, the crowd erupted into cheers, lifting from their seats.

The party that followed was the most extravagant one that had ever been, people all over the world celebrating alongside the two men. In some places it lasted for days, but for the wedded couple it went on until well into the dimming, when they eventually carried themselves back to their shared residence.

Within moments Marshall was being pressed down onto Bubba’s bed, their lips locked in a passionate kiss. A moment later, the younger man pulled away, leaning down to nip at the other’s throat, where a pair of bite marks were (knowing that it was the most sensitive part on the other’s body).

Beneath him, the vampire let out a strained gasp, his fingers curling as the other pinned his wrists above his head. Then his breath hitched as the other bit down roughly, pulling a moan from him.

Suddenly the hands on his wrists were traveling downward and pulling at his clothes, only to stop as pale fingers suddenly pressed to sugary lips.

“Marshall?” The Founder asked in confusion, a frown on his features.

Teal eyes gazed into his for a few moments, before the other shook his head, a devious smirk on his face as he bit down on his bottom lips. “Nope.”

“Wha-?!” Bubba wheezed as his partner slithered out from under him and headed toward the door. “Marshall-!”

Turning to smirk at the pink-haired man, the older cocked one hip, his hand on the other. “Sorry, sweetheart. But it’s _the week_.”

“W-wha-!?” The Founder cried again, nearly falling off the bed. “But-!”

Slowly, the pale man crossed his arms, one eyebrow quirked. “Well, unless you want to let _me_ top…”

“You _know_ I don’t like that, Marshall!” the candy-man whined, finally managing to stand up from the mattress. With skin made of sugar and insides made of candy, the whole thing was just entirely too uncomfortable.

Rolling his teal eyes, the older man turned toward the door. “Well I’m not having any more sugar-babies, so you’re out of luck, my friend.” With that said, he disappeared from the door, ignoring the pained whines that followed after him.

“ _Marshall_ ~!”

**The end**


End file.
